REFLECTOR: fixed the leak

Douglas Holub doug.holub at tx.rr.com
Thu Oct 18 15:33:51 CDT 2007


I finally have a left fuel tank that holds air pressure. I had to cut a 5" circle in the top of the strake and go in and add more Jeffco goop between the top of one of the fuel bulkheads and the strake. 

I sealed up the 5" hole yesterday and tested the tank today with -1000 feet on the altimeter. I was very disappointed to see (again) the needle on the altimeter rise about 100 feet in 5 minutes. So I painted the entire perimeter of the fuel tank with soapy water (again) and looked for bubbles. I couldn't find any. I painted some more and looked some more. No luck. 

It turns out the altimeter was leaking! So I clamped it out of the loop and the tank has held pressure for 6 hours so far today.  Woo hoo!

I dreaded cutting into my fuel strake to make this repair. But I remembered something Kevin Baker told me a few years ago. He said that it used to bother him to cut into the fuselage for doors or windows or whatever because he was worried that he would make a mistake. But then he realized that no matter what he did, this composite construction can always be fixed as good as new. 

Doug Holub
Velocity FG top door w/ electric nose gear
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