Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Supporting Owners, Builders and Pilots of the Thorp T-18 and its variants.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 1:21 pm

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 107 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  Next
Author Message
James Grahn
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2018 9:40 am 
Hero Member
Hero Member

Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:16 pm
Posts: 1434
Images: 0
Location: USA
I ran WnB for two fuel tanks below the baggage compartment floor. It worked ok at 20 gallons. Of course, that was with a car engine up front.
Cubes


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Rich Brazell
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2018 1:02 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member

Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:33 pm
Posts: 3095
Images: 64
Location: Jamul, CA (San Diego area)
Like I said before , if I had the chance I would put in the larger DR main tank ! ::)

RB O0


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Gary Green
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2018 2:50 pm 
Jr. Member
Jr. Member

Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:53 am
Posts: 61
Location: USA
Of all the solutions for increasing T-18 fuel capacity, I like David Read's. Forty Gallons is all I would ask for. If you need more than that, David's scheme won't work for you. But with the modern instrumentation available, a shallow instrument panel design can expand the space available in John Thorp's original design and adds the benefits of single tank, gravity feed, minimal CG impact, simple plumbing, etc.

GG


Top
 Profile  
 
Rich Brazell
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2018 3:07 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member

Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:33 pm
Posts: 3095
Images: 64
Location: Jamul, CA (San Diego area)
Exactly what I said !! :o

RB O0


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
SHIPCHIEF
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 10:06 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:05 pm
Posts: 471
Location: USA
I submitted an engineering request for a fuel bladder in the outer wing panel as I mentioned.
We'll soon know how spendy and irresponsible it is... :P


Attachments:
T-18 Fuel Cell.pdf [1.4 MiB]
Downloaded 583 times

_________________
Scott Emery
EAA Chapter 326
T-18 N18TE
Top
 Profile  
 
SHIPCHIEF
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Fri May 25, 2018 5:03 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:05 pm
Posts: 471
Location: USA
Dave Dack @ ATL the fuel cell company got back to be today with a quote for the fuel tank(s).
Kinda spendy, about $600 per gallon!

Well, that's the first bid...maybe Race car or Boat....


Attachments:
Emery.pdf [542.97 KiB]
Downloaded 425 times

_________________
Scott Emery
EAA Chapter 326
T-18 N18TE
Top
 Profile  
 
Rich Brazell
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Fri May 25, 2018 6:40 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member

Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:33 pm
Posts: 3095
Images: 64
Location: Jamul, CA (San Diego area)
If I didn't go the DR tank route , I would put in a single thin profile aluminum race tank on the baggage compartment floor . :P Single in tank pump to fill the main tank . ;) 15 + gallons ?

RB O0


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
SHIPCHIEF
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Fri May 25, 2018 10:05 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:05 pm
Posts: 471
Location: USA
I hear you RB.
before I got on the fuel bladder idea, I'd been designing a con-formal wing tank to fit close under the wing join, similar to the Hunter 'non-drop' tank, but looking more like the engine pod of an Me-262.
I picked up some .063 5052 Aluminum sheet and some HTS-2000 aluminum 'welding' rod:
https://www.aluminumrepair.com/hts-2000 ... azing-rod/
Hoping to make a warp-free brazed external tank.

The baggage under-floor tank seems a lot easier, especially the plumbing.
Here is a cool Newton filler cap with angled neck for a side-of-the-fuselage filler
https://fuelsafe.com/a36nl44lfk-flush-c ... e-flapper/
This filler has a vent point that is above the tank, and being at the side of the fuselage, could loop up to the upper longeron like an RV, then through the floor to a pitot tip.
No Muss No Fuss. Could we also say Good To The Last Drop ?

_________________
Scott Emery
EAA Chapter 326
T-18 N18TE


Top
 Profile  
 
1albee
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2018 6:14 am 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:58 pm
Posts: 172
Images: 0
Scott,
if you install a tank below the level of the main tank be careful of fuel from the main tank traveling to your aux tank. Until the fuel is well below the point in the main tank where the aux fuel is introduced it will flow backwards. I have had this issue on two A/C I have owned (a Chief & a Thorp). Using a inline valve or check will solve the issue.
Phil
118BC


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
James Grahn
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2018 5:54 pm 
Hero Member
Hero Member

Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:16 pm
Posts: 1434
Images: 0
Location: USA
Phil has a good point. Spanky has an 8 gallon aux tank bolted to the under side of his turtle deck. We found that a full main will back fill that aux on the ground.
Cubes


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
SHIPCHIEF
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2018 11:09 pm 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:05 pm
Posts: 471
Location: USA
Cubes and All;
I'm wondering if the turtle-deck fuel tank can gravity feed the engine during (reasonable) level cruise flight?
That alone would have merit on a gravity feed ship.

_________________
Scott Emery
EAA Chapter 326
T-18 N18TE


Top
 Profile  
 
fulcrumflyer
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2018 8:19 am 
Jr. Member
Jr. Member

Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:44 am
Posts: 84
Images: 0
Location: Las Vegas, NV
SHIPCHIEF wrote:
Cubes and All;
I'm wondering if the turtle-deck fuel tank can gravity feed the engine during (reasonable) level cruise flight?
That alone would have merit on a gravity feed ship.


Yes it can. It's been ops tested in my airplane (see Cubes' earlier post). The worst part of my tank set-up is that the filler cap is in the cockpit behind the passenger seat. That makes it difficult to get a fuel nozzle inside to fill up the tank. The last thing I want is a fuel spill in the cockpit.


SPANKY


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Ryan Allen
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2018 8:34 am 
Hero Member
Hero Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:10 pm
Posts: 1105
Images: 0
Location: Louisiana
I would be interested in seeing fabrication and installation drawings, particularly how its secured to the turtle deck. I have often thought of putting extra fuel on the baggage area floor but that that would require a pump, whereas your turtle deck tank does not.


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Jeff J
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2018 6:31 am 
Sr. Member
Sr. Member

Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:18 am
Posts: 583
Images: 0
Location: eastern OK
I think the turtle-deck tank could be plumbed with an external filler neck just below the canopy without losing much capacity. A vented cap may leak when the tail came up for flight. The tank could possisbly be lowered a little bit but that may affect the gravity feed option. I would want a way to check the tank for water before flight which means a sump somewhere. Routing the fuel lines downhill for gravity feed could be a challenge.

_________________
Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
James Grahn
 Post subject: Re: Aux Fuel Tank
PostPosted: Mon May 28, 2018 9:10 am 
Hero Member
Hero Member

Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:16 pm
Posts: 1434
Images: 0
Location: USA
I think Spanky is going to take some pictures. If there is enough interest, I'll. Have some made. The easiest way to fill it is to measure how much you put in.
Cubes


Top
 Profile Personal album  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 107 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  Next

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 5 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron

[ Time : 0.191s | 15 Queries | GZIP : On ]