Velocity SE storage

[SeansullTX]

This is my first post here so bear with me if this has already been addressed on the forums.

 

I know the Velocity SE has some storage in the strakes from the interior. My question to the SE builders is how much space is behind the back seats (if any)? It appears that the rear seats are on rail slides from the few pictures I can find.

 

Also, would the baggage pods for the Cozy Mark IV be something to consider on a Velocity?

 

The obvious answer is upgrade to the XL but I want to keep my engine around the 200hp size.

 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the subject!

[Bergj69]

Exactly something I am curious about. . So far 36 people have looked at your question, but no answers yet. I would like to know if I can go on a long weekend trip with my two kids (13 and 11) and still carry some luggage. And where would I leave that luggage? In front of the rear seats, at the childrens feet? Come on Velocity owners, help us out here!

[emteeoh]

I am not an owner, but I did sit in an SE at the factory. There is some space for bags behind the back seat, but very little. i would say that if, as a family, you pack very light, you could manage a weekend trip in the SE. The XL is much more realistic for carrying 4 people and their bags though. With kids in the back, you can move the seats forward pretty far, leaving enough space behind the back seat for alot of bags, *AND* still leaving the kids with leg room.

 

Before you buy though, I strongly suggest you go and sit in one.

[SeansullTX]

Thanks BERJ!!!!

 

I am starting to feel a little ignored here. Surely someone here has some information on the subject. We seek your help

[Drew Swenson]

ok---I am one of the 36 guys who looked at this post. Current owner of a Cozy----and prior owner/half builder of a Longez. Never sat nor paid too much attention to the back seat of a Velocity.

 

If you are wondering about a Cozy---two thoughts

1. Two adults traveling: I can not imagine not having enough room for something---you can in fact take the kitchen sink with you. At our baby shower---was able to fly every present back (had to take all the gifts out of the boxes though)----pretty impressive if you saw the shower.

2. Two adults and a little one: Kid in back in baby seat---Mom in back too. Strakes stuffed mostly with things thant my wife needs to access. Baggage in the font seat with me and in daughters footwells (lots of space here).

 

If you load 4 people up, then you have to sort of figure what you want to bring with you. In my Longez, we would pack everything in the big ziplocks then load those into duffle bags. When we got to the plane, we would stuff the individual bags in the strakes, above the spar, down the wing spar, etc. One time I went to a black tie event an put my suit and wife's dress behind my seat back cushion---no wrinkles.

 

The best advice is that you need to see it for yourself.

 

And---not everyone ignores---we are just not qualified to answer---and we like to read about other planes. Maybe you need a Cozy---more people would have answered

[Bergj69]

Thanks Drew and Emteeoh,

 

I thought the cabin space of the Velocity SE would be somewhat bigger than the Cozy, but I'll look in to that. I've got the feeling the XL would offer some space, certainly enough for the weekend with the kids and the wife, I'm just not sure about the SE in that scenario. Since I live in the Netherlands, I do not have an opportunity too often to sit in either a Cozy or a Velocity, there just not too many around here, just a hand full. I'm considering buying a finished, second hand Velocity SE RG that is in Zürich, Switzerland. And that's, compaired to the States, just around the corner. Before taking a trip to Zürich, I'm hoping to find out more about cabin space with regards to the Velocity and the Cozy for that matter.

The reason I'm not planning to built for myself is well illustrated in this story: The First Flight..... From The Eyes of The Wife http://www.velocityaircraft.com/Velocity%20Online/Velocityonline.html#Builder_Articles (scroll down a bit). Even though I think building a Velocity XL RG would be a great adventure, I'm afraid I can't sell the wife the concept of her husband being gone in some garage or shop in the vicinity for the next 4 years on practically every spare hour. . . But I think I can imagine the great feeling it must give when you fly your own built aircraft for the very first time..

[jwright]

I'm new here, but I've put some thought into the same issue. Right now, my fam is wife+infant; but by the time the cozy is finished, we may very well be a 4-person family with mucho baggage. Here's my solution: fedex/ups

 

For every trip that we have taken in the Cherokee, we could have easily shipped a box of clothes in advance to the FBO, hotel, or house that we were visiting. It takes some planning, but can be done.... Jesse

[Bergj69]

I found a Pilots Operating Handbook (strangely enough, made for the plane I'm interested in buying http://reiny.ruess.com/hb-yjn/Flughandbuch-HB-YJN.pdf) and found this text: The inboard portion of the large wing strakes are used as baggage areas, accessible from the front and rear cockpit. These, combined with special suitcases and other storage areas, provide nearly 10 cubic ft of baggage room.

Well, that answers my question! 238 liters that can contain max 45 kg, this should be more than enough for a weekend trip. So I think I'll be going for the SE rather than the XL: sure the XL offers even more space, but is so much harder to get built and all in Europe. And when it will become available, it will probably much more expensive.

[CBarber]

As tends to happen, since I am building, I do not get to the forums as routinely as I may like. I am currently rebuilding my rotary 13b with mostly new parts (both rotor housings and all end plates ported to a medium street port). My first rebuild had some issues and when I tore it down I screwed up and ruined a part (intermedieate plate for those in the know), so, on kinda a wild hair, instead of finding more used parts, I bought new. Figure that $2500.00 is really not all that much for pretty much a new engine.

 

That being said, I am building a Velo SE. I am in Houston, Texas so any folks that feel it is close enough are welcome to come down to Ellington Field (Houston's third big airport) and check out my project. The strakes are designed for soft luggage and while not huge seem to be very adequate for the task. There is a little room behind the rear seat but is is not much. My rear seats do not slide. I think that is a newer standard feature (my kit was delivered in 2002. There is also a little room under the rear seats as well. It is a SE=Standared Elite. Standard meaning it is not the XL; Elite meaning it has the gull wing doors. Mine is a fixed gear.

 

If memorty serves, the XL is 10 inches longer and 5.5 inches wider. the wider is mostly good for elbow room. I am sure the strake area is larger as well due to the larger wing/strake. Velocity also offers a split seat (40/60 IIRC) option for the XL. The SE has similiar deminsions to a Bonanza, Cessna 182, the Travel-air twin etc. That is 42 inches wide. Most/all 4 place planes are limited in storage and weight. I do not foresee most my trips will be more than two persons, however, for the the times I do carry more I am certain it can be done....with aviation appropriate limitations. To me the SE gives MUCH more bang for the buck. Not only did it cost $10K less than an XL for the slow build kit, it should be MUCH cheaper down the road too. Don't get me wrong, an XL would be sweet, but the reality is the SE provides MOST of the benifits of a 4 person canard. Viva Velocity and Cozy!

 

All the best,

 

Christopher Barber

Houston, Texas

www.LoneStarVelocity.com

[jsbougher]

I just joined the group. If you are still interested in the answer, here goes. I have a 2003 fixed gear SE. I have a wife and 2 kids - 11 and 14. We used our Velocity for semi-regular transportation from NE OH to central IN. This is a 6 hr, 320 mile drive for us. The Velocity replaced a 172 which had a 3 hr flight time and more limited load carrying. With the Velocity (no wheel pants), we had about an 1:45 trip. I would regularly take both kids, the dog and a weekends worth of "stuff" back and forth. In my plane, I can rock the rear seats forward and re-pin in place to allow about another 2" in the rear. We'd move one seat forward and pack as follows:

* behind rear seat rocked forward to provide extra space - 2 full duffel bags + small back pack on top

* behind rear seat in regular location - 2 half filled and flattened duffel bags.

* behind rear seats but between the seats - 1 duffel bag wedged vertically

* right strake - canvas airplane cover

* left strake - flight bag & wife's purse

* rear feet area - misc kids stuff in backpacks

 

With all this and 3 hrs of fuel, we were at gross. It was easy to load and unload, but made for a very full plane with our 15 lb dog thrown into the mix. Note that my kids are both physically pretty small (~75-85 lbs each), so if you have linebackers in the gene pool you may not have such good results.

 

I love the plane, the flight characteristics, the versatility, the load capability and the safety of a canard. I firmly believe that you can't go wrong with a Velocity. Any more questions, please ask.

 

Jeff

 

 

This is my first post here so bear with me if this has already been addressed on the forums.

 

I know the Velocity SE has some storage in the strakes from the interior. My question to the SE builders is how much space is behind the back seats (if any)? It appears that the rear seats are on rail slides from the few pictures I can find.

 

Also, would the baggage pods for the Cozy Mark IV be something to consider on a Velocity?

 

The obvious answer is upgrade to the XL but I want to keep my engine around the 200hp size.

 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the subject!

[bferrell]

Just a couple of adds here to what others have said.

 

Strake baggage - you really can make this as big or small as you want, in hind sight, I'd probably have made mine a bit smaller.

 

Other behind-seat storage - also depends on RG or FG, my XL/FG has a very natural storage shelf over the sump, in addition to the behind-seat space. See picture below. Retracts have less usable space back here.

 

Draggage - There is at least one Velocity with Draggage - http://wiki.velocityxl.com/index.php?title=Draggage_Pod.

 

Brett

[Bergj69]

Thanks for sharing all this information. Well, I've made my mind up: as soon as the funds will allow it, I will search the market for a finished, second hand Velocity. Preferably a RG, but I won't be picky. . .

 

Regards,

 

Jeroen

[bferrell]

You're welcome... btw, I do try to keep a current listing of Velo's (flying and gently-used kits) on the wiki...

 

http://wiki.velocityxl.com/index.php?title=For_Sale

 

Brett