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#21
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Fuel System Musings, comments encouraged
On Oct 20, 10:55*pm, flybynightkarmarepair wrote:
(snip) I recall a LONG argument on this forum *(or maybe it was on a Zenith 601 forum - LOTS of that design fly with a system VERY much like you're advocating) about unporting a tank at low fuel levels and sucking air, that I don't want to rehash, but I'll just note that I'm firmly in the LEFT/RIGHT/OFF fuel selector camp for low wing planes with wing tanks. Just one more word on the subject and I'll go back to lurk around. Since the Ercoupe design feeds the engine from the header tank, unporting of a wing tank may momentarily interrupt the replenishment of the header tank - but will not interrupt fuel flow to the engine. Indeed, when the wing tank(s) are empty, the fuel pump is just suckin' air. No harm, no foul. I remember when I was young and stupid (as opposed to now being old and senile), I left Buchanan Field - Concord, CA just North of S.F. and headed south in a '46 Ercoupe. It took 30 minutes to climb to 9.5K as I remember and we had a nice north tailwind. As we neared Los Angeles the cork float gauge on the header tank was on it's way down. I had a sectional on my lap and was going to fly the freeways down to Fullerton airport. Should make it easy. Hah! We hit the smog and horizontal visibility went to zilch. I could see straight down, so I followed the concrete. Then we came to an interchange. Do you know how many frippin' freeways there are in L.A.!!! I was so lost I couldn't find my butt with both hands. After 10 - 15 minutes of screwing around, I called L.A. Approach and confessed. Note: This was way before transponders were common in civil aircraft. They came right back with no help at all. Advised me to fly west until I saw water IIRC. All of a sudden, there it was. Disneyland! I turned the map around until it was right and decided the nearest airport was only a couple of miles in front of me. Trouble being, it was a Naval Air Station. I told LAX I was going to land there and they advised me that I would never take off again. They were able to give me vectors to Fullerton and I turned that way. The float gauge was no longer bobbing - it just sat still. I figured the engine could quit any second. In less the five minutes it seemed, we were approaching Fullerton. I called the tower, advised low fuel, was told to enter downwind and I was #15 to land. "Did I want to declare an emergency?" Thinking of the reams of paperwork sure to follow, I gulped, "Not at this time." We finally kissed the pavement and even taxiied off to the FBO. Fueling up, I paid for just 1/10th gallon less than the usable capacity of the three tanks. I never let the fuel get nearly that low again. Later in that same trip, we flew North into the Grand Canyon and then couldn't climb back up and out over the North Rim. But that's another story. Rich S. |
#22
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Fuel System Musings, comments encouraged
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#23
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Fuel System Musings, comments encouraged
On Oct 21, 12:29*pm, wrote:
On Oct 20, 10:55*pm, flybynightkarmarepair wrote: (snip) I recall a LONG argument on this forum *(or maybe it was on a Zenith 601 forum - LOTS of that design fly with a system VERY much like you're advocating) about unporting a tank at low fuel levels and sucking air, that I don't want to rehash, but I'll just note that I'm firmly in the LEFT/RIGHT/OFF fuel selector camp for low wing planes with wing tanks. Just one more word on the subject and I'll go back to lurk around. Since the Ercoupe design feeds the engine from the header tank, unporting of a wing tank may momentarily interrupt the replenishment of the header tank - but will not interrupt fuel flow to the engine. Indeed, when the wing tank(s) are empty, the fuel pump is just suckin' air. No harm, no foul. Really good point. You and Veeduber may have convinced me to try a Header Tank solution, and FIND room for it. My gripe then will be No Pressurized Fuel in the Cockpit, but I think I can work my way around that by having the header tank VERY close to the firewall (maybe even in front of it...), with the pump, the gasolator, and most of the fittings ahead of the firewall. The next question becomes, how small can I reasonable go in the header tank? I'm thinking that for an engine that burns, at most, 4 gallons per hour, a gallon USABLE might be enough. I remember when I was young and stupid (as opposed to now being old and senile), Great story, I particularly enjoyed it as I know both areas well. Later in that same trip, we flew North into the Grand Canyon and then couldn't climb back up and out over the North Rim. But that's another story. Oh do tell! Either give it to us here, or e-mail it to me and I'll post it on my blog or on my website. Rich S. My sincere thanks for all the comments thusfar, yours, Dan's, Veeduber's, all y'all. |
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