[thesha]

Greetings, I just had the pleasure of admiring at a flying RV-9 that I had helped put some rivets in. The builder chose to keep it simple and this included, no upholstery (except seats) and no sound-proofing. My question is: since we all wear headsets and some with ANR, is it worth the extra weight and complexity to install sound-deadning material. If so, how much is justified and how much is just extra weight? I hope some builders with flying RV’s can shed some light on this as I’m sure some have gone “bare” and some have gone to the other extreme. I’m leaning toward the “buy a good ANR headset” and save the unnecessary weight, but I don’t want to make a mistake regarding this issue.

[reggin]

Great question! The RV series of aircraft have always been admired for their performance and efficiency. When it comes to soundproofing in an aircraft, it’s a unique challenge, different from vehicles, yet there are parallels. I’ve had personal experience soundproofing cars with products from sound deadening , and the effectiveness of specialized materials in reducing noise can be significant. That said, in an aircraft, weight is a paramount consideration. While soundproofing can make the cabin environment more pleasant, especially during longer flights, it’s a balance between the benefits of a quieter environment and the performance implications of added weight. ANR headsets indeed do an excellent job of noise cancellation, and for many, that’s sufficient.

[Author]

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