REFLECTOR: Pressure testing...with altimeter
Jeff Clough
jclough48 at comcast.net
Sat Apr 7 13:55:41 CDT 2007
Whatever happened to hooking up the altimeter to the tanks and putting
enough air into the tanks to change the indicated altitude by 1000 (?)
ft? (I THINK it was 1000 ft).......
jc
David Ullman wrote:
> Larry and I spoke about this a couple of weeks ago. I am still months out
> from doing this test, but decided to look into how I might do it. First
> question is, what pressure? Since the plane is rated at 6gs, taking the
> density of fuel and doing some algebra shows that the max pressure exerted
> is about 1.5psi. No need to go higher than this. To get this pressure with
> a simple U-tube manometer requires some care so you don't get water in the
> tank. As you compress 35 gallons of air 1.0 psi you need to make up 2.3
> gallons. So the best way to do this, as best I can figure, is build a
> U-tube with a 5 gallon sealed paint bucket at the bottom (paint stores sell
> them cheap). The paint bucket is there to provide the needed volume of
> compressed air. Have one tube come in very near the bottom of the bucket
> (the fill tube) and the other out the top (going to the fuel tank). The
> fill tube needs to stick straight up about 5' and the other tube should go
> up at least that far on its way to the tank (ensures no water in the tank).
> Pour water in the fill tube. For every 27" the water rises in the fill tube
> you get 1 psi of pressure in the tank.
>
> Is this overkill?
>
> Note. I have just decided to go to Oshgosh (the misspelling is on purpose
> because I expect to say "gosh" or something similar, a lot). I hope to meet
> many of you there and count me in on any events that get planned.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of reflector-request at tvbf.org
> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 2:31 PM
> To: reflector at tvbf.org
> Subject: Reflector Digest, Vol 35, Issue 16
>
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: RG Questions (Laurence Coen)
> 2. Re: Leak testing Fuel Strake (Joe Ewen)
> 3. Fuel Leak (Milehitaz at aol.com)
> 4. Re: Fuel Leak (PUSHERPILOT at wmconnect.com)
> 5. Re: Fuel Leak (Darrell & Nora Kufalk)
> 6. Re: South Houston (Christopher Barber)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 05:28:26 -1200
> From: "Laurence Coen" <lwcoen at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: RG Questions
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Message-ID: <BAY135-DAV1592A04C9D704030B3930AD3640 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I'll second that. My Franklin engine makes extensive use of "Nylock" nuts
> to hold the case together.
>
> Larry Coen
> N136LC
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Ron Brown
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 2:32 AM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: RG Questions
>
>
> "There should be no fiber lock nuts in the engine compartment"
>
> I disagree with this statement. You don't want them on any critical
> applications - for certain. However, my I/A buddy with many years of
> experience doesn't feel this is a problem. If you are finding nuts that are
> loosing their tension - then yes replace them with crush nuts or castled
> nuts and cotter pins. But the blanket statement of no nylocks or fiber lock
> nuts in the engine compartment is not accurate.
>
> After 4 years and nearly 350 hours, I have seen no problems with any of
> the nylocks in my engine compartment.
>
> My opinion!
>
> Ronnie
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 13:03:57 -0400
> From: "Joe Ewen" <jewen at comporium.net>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Leak testing Fuel Strake
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Message-ID: <009e01c7786d$909e2480$6605a8c0 at cooleygroup.local>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Larry,
> I would be concerned putting even 2 to 3 pisg into the strake. When I
> tested my strakes, I connected a balloon to the fuel side plumbing and a
> hose to the vent line. The fuel cap will not be airtight, I sealed the caps
> with a wide making tape (wide enough to completely cover the cap without any
> seams. multiple layers of masking tape will allow a pin hole and make it
> look like you have a leak.) I then blew into the vent line until the
> balloon was inflated to the desired level. I did this in the early
> afternoon and was concerned near nightfall when the balloon was shriveled,
> but I did some calculations using the Ideal Gas Law and found that the
> temperature change was sufficient to deflate the balloon. I waited until
> the next day when the temp was approximately the same as when the test was
> started and sure enough the balloon was back to its inflated state. Later
> in the day when the temp was +10 to 15 F over when I started the test the
> balloon burst. At this point I was!
> satisfied that my tanks were leak free (hopefully they will stay that way
> when they undergo the dynamic stresses of flight.)
>
> Whether you use a balloon, manometer, altimeter, etc. remember the pressure
> will change with change in temperature under a constant volume (Ideal Gas
> Law), so don't jump to the conclusion of a leak if your pressure drops when
> the temperature drops. I will recheck my tanks before I add fuel, but this
> time I will pot a thermocouple into the tank to monitor the gas temperature
> and the tank pressure sensor (I built a sensor array to monitor tank
> pressure in flight so if I were to have a vent problem in flight, I will
> know before the fuel pumps start to starve.)
>
> Joe
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Milehitaz at aol.com
> To: reflector at tvbf.org
> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 2:04 AM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Leak testing Fuel Strake
>
>
>
> Forgive me wise collective:
>
> I know I have read several of the posts before, never paid enough
> attention to the answers as it always seemed like it would be so long before
> I needed the info...
>
> Other than refrigerant and a "sniffer" to test the "seal" on my
> strakes...Does someone have a good method they can share? My thought was low
> air pressure, 2 to 3 psi and a water bottle with a little soap in it
> ....spray around the outside of the strake... see if I can blow some
> bubbles...Thanks in advance for your input,
> Larry Lambert XL/RG
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> See what's free at AOL.com.
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 14:35:48 EDT
> From: Milehitaz at aol.com
> Subject: REFLECTOR: Fuel Leak
> To: reflector at tvbf.org
> Message-ID: <c1d.145866a8.3347ed04 at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Thank you all!
>
> As expected there were several excellent ideas posted... I just have to
> figure out what works best for me. Thank you so much for the heads up on
> the
> PSIG...i never would have thought that 2 - 3 psi would do damage, but it
> does
> make sense. Again, thanks, all the best,
>
> Larry Lambert
> XL/RG
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's free at
> http://www.aol.com.
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 15:35:05 EDT
> From: PUSHERPILOT at wmconnect.com
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Fuel Leak
> To: reflector at tvbf.org
> Message-ID: <c14.14a039a1.3347fae9 at wmconnect.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> For an accurate test replace the fuel filler cap with a "plumbers plug"
> available at Home Depot.
>
> Mel Bina Flying STD RG </HTML>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 14:45:22 -0500
> From: "Darrell & Nora Kufalk" <kufalk at wi.rr.com>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Fuel Leak
> To: "'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'"
> <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Message-ID: <005c01c77884$1d72d6b0$bce7a718 at DarrellK>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> With a very rough estimate, the fuel tank has an inside surface of over 1000
> square inches on the top and another 1000 on the bottom. Put 2 psi inside
> your tank and you are putting 1 ton of force inside, pushing up and down,
> trying to split it in half.
>
>
>
> Darrell Kufalk
>
> XLRG
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Milehitaz at aol.com
> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 1:36 PM
> To: reflector at tvbf.org
> Subject: REFLECTOR: Fuel Leak
>
>
>
>
>
> Thank you all!
>
>
>
> As expected there were several excellent ideas posted... I just have to
> figure out what works best for me. Thank you so much for the heads up on the
> PSIG...i never would have thought that 2 - 3 psi would do damage, but it
> does make sense. Again, thanks, all the best,
>
>
>
> Larry Lambert
>
> XL/RG
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _____
>
> See what's free at AOL.com <http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503> .
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 15:31:23 -0600
> From: "Christopher Barber" <CBarber at TexasAttorney.net>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: South Houston
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Message-ID: <OOECJAJLPPEPJMHNKCBHEEANGGAA.CBarber at TexasAttorney.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Steve,
>
> I assume that by south Houston, you do not mean the actual town of "South
> Houston" (it is no longer a very good part of town). However, if you are
> meaning the southern half of the Great City of Houston, I AM YOUR MAN. I
> live (and have grown up and have had my law practice) in SE Houston, and I
> work as a cop in a city called Bellaire, which is surrounded on all four
> sides by SW Houston.
>
> The second and third largest airports in Houston are on the SE side (Hobby -
> HOU & Ellington-EFD...where I have a hangar). The largest, "The big Bush"
> Intercontinental Airport-IAH is about 30 miles to the north. No real hangar
> availability at HOU or IAH. I had to wait on the EFD waiting list for a few
> years. These are the three big airports run by the City of Houston. IAH
> and HOU are mostly for airlines. EFD is GA with the Air Guard. It is a
> former Air Force based and used extensively by NASA....i.e. "vomit comet"
> the "flying guppy", T-38 with astronauts at the stick, et. al.
>
> Smaller airports around are Pearland Regional (aka Clover Field), Houston
> Southwest and Sugar Land....kinda depends with part of southern Houston you
> are referring to. Sugar Land is a good 40 minute drive from Ellington...but
> still pretty much considered Houston.
>
> Hangar space will probably run you about $350.00 per month wherever you are.
> I share my hangar with a buddy who is restoring an ol' V-EZ. It is a very
> nice hangar though.
>
> Should you have any questions, comments or concerns, please, do not hesitate
> to contact me on my cell at 832-818-CELL (2355). I am the president of EAA
> Houston; Chapter 12 and hope you will consider checking us out as well. I
> hope I can help.
>
> You will know you have made it to Houston when you realize you can DRINK
> your air <g>
>
> All the best,
>
> Chris
>
> Christopher Barber
> Attorney and Counselor at Law
> 5110 Bissonnet, No 418
> Bellaire, Texas 77401
>
> Serving the Needs of Senior Texans
>
> 281-464-LAWS (5297)
> 281-754-4168 Fax
> www.TexasAttorney.net
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On
> Behalf Of Steve Davey
> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 7:46 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: REFLECTOR: South Houston
>
>
> I'm looking for some advice on South Houston. I recently accepted a new
> career opportunity and am now beginning the search for a new FBO/Hanger etc.
> Any recommendations or thoughts will be appreciated.
>
> Off line address: sadsxlrg5 at yahoo.com
>
> Thanks
> Steve
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels
> in 45,000 destinations on Yahoo! Travel to find your fit.
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> End of Reflector Digest, Vol 35, Issue 16
> *****************************************
>
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