Bomber seats in rods - When did they start?

[Earl Marischal]

I started being interested in hot rods and modelling them in the mid 1960s. At the time I read any mags I could get hold of, not always easy in the UK then, and pored over them for reference. I am pretty certain that "bomber seats" didn't feature in any of the cars I saw in those publications; it was all tuck & roll, usually in Naugahyde. Since returning to the hobby 40 years later, there they are.

Three questions if I may:

1) Were they used in post war rods and then fell out of fashion?

2) If so, when did their usage restart?

3) Can anyone recommend a good source of 1/25 versions?

Thanks for any info!

steve

[vintagerpm]

Can't answer the first 2 questions, but you can get the seats at Wildhare Models.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 hours ago, Earl Marischal said:

1) Were they used in post war rods and then fell out of fashion?

2) If so, when did their usage restart?

1) They were used in post-war race cars predominantly, because they were light...and cheap. They were used in post-war "street" rods occasionally, but usually only temporarily until the owner could afford something better (nicer, more finished looking, more luxurious, etc).

EDIT: You would sometimes see a car that had "bomber" seats padded with custom foam cushions and upholstered, but their origins were obscured by the upholstery. With the advent of little "ferrin" cars coming into the US after the war though, rodders who wanted light-weight individual seating often scoured the junkyards for early "bucket" seats from MGs and the like. They came with cushions and upholstery already done, obviously.

The combat-aviation origin of "bomber" seats, and surplus military aircraft seats in general, usually designed to accommodate a parachute pack (or 2) as the cushion, makes them not as easy to convert to comfortable automotive use as you might think.

A lot of other military-surplus parts showed up on post-war hot rods, things like electric pumps, switches, instruments, AN fittings and hose, small tanks for fuel and other fluids, and even the venerable GMC 4-71 supercharger.

2)  I didn't notice them making a comeback until sometime in the late '90s.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy

[Earl Marischal]

Thanks Bill. 

Most enlightening.

steve

[Jon Haigwood]

I would think in early post war racing they would be used because of their light weight

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Jon Haigwood

[bisc63]

Early post war would be what I've gleaned from various articles. The belly tank builders were scrounging them from the same aircraft bone-yards they got their drop tanks from.

[Oldmopars]

I made a set of these seats for an 1/8 scale T bucket out of very thin aluminum flashing from the hardware store. Very simple and I think looks decent. 
You could do the same for 1/24-1/25 

[CabDriver]

On 4/20/2021 at 7:49 AM, vintagerpm said:

Can't answer the first 2 questions, but you can get the seats at Wildhare Models.

 

I never saw those photo etched ones before - those are NICE!

[Snake45]

I've built a lot of models of WWII airplanes and I've never seen lightening holes in the seats of any of them. Don't remember holes in the ultra-detail aftermarket seats, either. 

So I just google-imaged "pilot seat" for B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26, B-29, P-38, P-47, P-51, and C-47. Saw a lot of photos of real ones. 

Guess what? No holes in them. 

So the holes must have been a hot-rodder modification.

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 hours ago, Snake45 said:

...So the holes must have been a hot-rodder modification.

I tend to agree with ya. All the real military surplus seats I've seen (and I have a pair here) lack the "lightening" holes.

It's not hard, however, to press nice round lipped holes in sheet aluminum with a set of matched dies that anyone with a lathe can make.

Just for youse guys information, there were lotsa plywood surplus seats too...with no holes for the belts, 'cause when you're sitting on a 'chute, you sit high enough that the belts go over the seat rails. The wooden ones are much easier for an amateur to upholster, too.

EDIT: The pix are hot-linked and may disappear shortly. If they do, I can post them from my own drives.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy

[fumi]

Highlight Model Studio also makes photo etch ones in 2 styles, with or without holes.

https://www.highlightmodelstudio.com/en/product/11872852

https://www.highlightmodelstudio.com/en/product/11872852

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

The Revell Model A coupe kit has (had?) two bomber seats in it. The kit is currently out of production but Revell is threatening to bring it back later this year. The assumption is that the seats will return at that time as well..... -RRR

[Tom Geiger]

Here’s those bomber seats...  I drilled out all the holes. Seat looks a bit heavy molded in plastic. I’m sure the photo etch ones look more realistic.

Edited April 30, 2021 by Tom Geiger

[CabDriver]

Unrelated, but I like that clear steering wheel Tom!

 

 

[Earl Marischal]

23 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Here’s those bomber seats...  I drilled out all the holes. Seat looks a bit heavy molded in plastic. I’m sure the photo etch ones look more realistic.

They look good to me Tom, along either rest of the model!

dteve

[Tom Geiger]

23 hours ago, CabDriver said:

Unrelated, but I like that clear steering wheel Tom!

 

 

Thanks Jim! It came in the old Riviera kit. I was Jonesing to use it on a rod!

[Snake45]

21 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

Thanks Jim! It came in the old Riviera kit. I was Jonesing to use it on a rod!

There's a clear steering wheel in the AMT 260 Cobra, too, I believe. 

[CabDriver]

4 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Thanks Jim! It came in the old Riviera kit. I was Jonesing to use it on a rod!

Way cool!  I want one! 😍