REFLECTOR: Fuel Tank Calibration

[Chuck Jensen]

Dave,

Here's a simple, low-tech way of calibrating your tanks that leaves
everything in place and is accurate, if not exactly precise.

1.	Level plane, all axis.
2.	Drain fuel header.
3.	Add back approximate volume of header tank to one wing
	(lift wing to aid in transferring fuel into header tank.)  For
electronic systems, do you "0" calibration now.
4.	At the self-serve pump, or with kind words to the fuel truck
guy, put 5 gallons in each strake and mark your 3/4" wooden dowel and do
any electronic calibration if using electronic fuel indication.
5.	Add another 5 gallons to each side--mark stick and do electronic
cal.
6.	Repeat until both wings are full.

The marked stick will allow you to always know what your fuel level is
if your electronic do-dads go out of cal.  The same stick can be used
for your nose-gear-stick.

The small amount of fuel that might siphon from one wing to the other
during the 5 gallon filling is negligible and will not affect the
accuracy of your final calibration.

Chuck Jensen

 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org 
> [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Dave Black
> Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 9:37 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: REFLECTOR: Fuel Tank Calibration
> 
> 
> 
> We are just about to do our fuel tank calibration, and I realized I 
> don't know a good way to stop fuel from flowing from the strake tanks 
> into the sump. We do not have fuel shutoff valves on the individual 
> strake tanks.
> 
> The best we've been able to come up with is to remove the sump and 
> temporarily install some longer hoses to the strake tank drains. That 
> way we could block those hoses while calibrating the tanks, then when 
> done drain the fuel into fuel cans.
> 
> But this becomes a somewhat complicated and messy process -- and will 
> require a minimum of 6 gasoline cans. How has everyone else 
> done it? Can 
> anyone suggest a better method of calibrating the fuel tanks?
> 
> Thanks,
> Dave Black
> Shortwing RG
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