REFLECTOR: Fuel sight guages..why?

[Rene Dugas]

My son finished college before I was flying my V.

Rene'

 

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Gary Stull
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 5:34 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Fuel sight guages..why?

 

I installed a simple fix for this problem. I cut a flourescent drop
light tube in half vertically and stuck that over the sight glass tubes.
It adheres to the KISS method, keep it simple stupid. It also is marked
in 5 gallon increments to tell the fuel remaining. 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Grigore <mailto:grigore.rosu at gmail.com>  Rosu 

To: Velocity Aircraft <mailto:reflector at tvbf.org>  Owners and Builders
list 

Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 11:39 AM

Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Fuel sight guages..why?

 

Perhaps I am over-paranoid, but I have an 8-month boy, who knocks
everything down in his way and who will be 1-2-3 year old when I'll fly
the Velocity I'm building.  I see no other bigger temptation for him in
the back seat than to pull the tube of the sight gauge that came with
the kit.  Therefore, I decided to go with the Atkinson ones, even though
I had a hard time accepting to pay $126 for a pair.  I really don't see
why they are so expensive; there is really no big deal to build them.

 

For the same reasons expressed by Sctt and others above, I think they ar
useful and not that risky.


Grigore

 

On Thu, Feb 14, 2008 at 10:12 AM, Scott Derrick <scott at tnstaafl.net>
wrote:

The way I see it, the sight gauges are a fool proof method of
ascertaining
your fuel status, they just work. Period. They are simple to fabricate
and
almost idiot proof.  If you change the hoses every 5 years there is
almost
no chance of a leak. You have a lot more fuel lines in the cabin behind
teh seat.

Yes I have electric fuel gauges, yes I have a fuel flow meter also.

I still like to get in, look at the panel gauges, look over my shoulder
at
 the sight gauges and verify that all is according to Hoyle...

Scott


> 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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