REFLECTOR: Fuel sight guages..why?

Lawrence J. Epstein, MD ljepstein at hotmail.com
Thu Feb 14 10:10:07 CST 2008


I believe they are a simple, accurate and reliable monitor of your fuel
status with little or no downside. If you are using the V.A. gauges, you are
not really bringing any fuel into the cabin, you are adding a "window to the
tank". (As opposed to the factory clear tube system, where you actually are
running flexible clear tubing with fuel "thru" the cabin.). I would guess
that the V.A. gauge is no weaker than the surrounding BH and certainly no
more likely to leak than your fuel line entry point.

Remember, the #1 cause of accidents due to mechanical failure, is fuel
exhaustion.

 

Larry Epstein

 

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Brooke Wolf
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 10:45 AM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: REFLECTOR: Fuel sight guages..why?

 

Ok Guys, I have been pondering this question for some time.  Why do we have
fuel sight gauges in our Velocities?  The rationale for my doubt is as
follows:

 

1.       Before we fly, we visually observe and measure the fuel quantities
in each tank.  We know our fuel burn.  We know flying time.  Therefore we
always know our fuel state.  Nothing else required.  Unless...

2.       We had fuel going somewhere other than into our cylinders.  IE we
have a leak!  Ok, we add fuel gauges.  My understanding is that fuel gauges
and associated sensing equipment is much more reliable than it was in my
1977 C172.

3.       Most installations have some sort of a fuel flow (fuel used)
computer to be used as a third source of fuel status.  Mine will.

 

There we have it.  Three layers of redundancy.  We could lose any two and
still be aware of our fuel state.  Why add more complexity to our machines
by bringing fuel inside the cabin?

 

Since so many people have the sight gauges, I fear I am missing something.
Your considered opinions and thoughts please........at some point I am going
to be building the strakes!  Let me know what you think.

 

Thanks...Brooke

XLRG-5

 

 

 

 

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