REFLECTOR: Low fuel warning, (was) SERG Fuel Lines

Scott Derrick scott at tnstaafl.net
Sat Jun 4 10:57:40 CDT 2011


I can get some pics when I'm back in town.

I've never noticed anybody being concerned about the sight gages.  I 
always point them out and tell them that those are the "never fail fuel 
gages" and are used to verify the electronic gages in the panel are 
working correctly and verification is done during the before engine 
start checklist.  They like that!

I don't know how good the Atkinson gages are, I've heard some had 
problems, one problem being they get dirty over time and are hard to 
read.  I saw some in a 10 year old cozy and the sight glass was not easy 
to see through. Which with the tygon tube gage, is an easy fix. I also 
put a white round pellet made from micro in the tubes, too big to go 
through the brass fitting, small enough to travel up and down in the 
tube, that floats on the fuel.  makes it even easier to see the gage.

Scott



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Low fuel warning, (was) SERG Fuel Lines
From: Tom Falls <tomfalls6 at gmail.com>
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list' <reflector at tvbf.org>
Date: 06/04/2011 11:45 AM

> I like simple. Got any pictures? My one concern with the tubing is mostly
> due to aesthetics. I don't care for the look of them, but I also think
> non-flyers/technical types will not get a warm fuzzy feeling sitting
> elbow-to-elbow with the fuel plumbing, having just heard me tell them that
> this is a home built experimental. Yes I know the Atkinson gauges are the
> same, but the connotation to newbie flyers is completely different. I want
> to instill confidence in my non-flying friends that this plane I built with
> my own 2 hands is (will be) a safe plane.
>
> Tom
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Scott Derrick
> Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2011 10:34 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Low fuel warning, (was) SERG Fuel Lines
>
> I have sight gages and cap fuel sensors in the mains hooked up to a
> Dynon EMS.
>
> My sight gages are the factory, 90 degree brass fittings with tubing for
> the see through part. I love um. Simple, simple simple.  I use Tygon
> clear Laboratory quality tubing, thick wall. Its tough stuff!  When the
> tubing starts getting dirty on the inside and it does, about every 4
> years.  I wack off a couple more 6 inch pieces of my lifetime 6 ft roll
> and swap them out.  Thy now look brand new!
>
> Scott
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Low fuel warning, (was) SERG Fuel Lines
> From: Tom Falls<tomfalls6 at gmail.com>
> To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'<reflector at tvbf.org>
> Date: 06/04/2011 10:12 AM
>
>> Being a genuine certified coward, I certainly plan on using Kurt's advice
> to
>> THINK ahead and measure fuel on the ground and calculate
> time-in-the-tanks.
>> Continuing on that thought, I am installing a capacitance fuel gauge in
> each
>> tank feeding a Dynon for low fuel alert, plus Atkinson Fuel Sight Gauges
> on
>> each as well to give me assurances that nothing has gone wrong during
>> flight. Based on all your inputs I'm leaning strongly away from installing
> a
>> sensor on the sump. I can always add it later, but it doesn't seem to add
>> much safety while at the same time potentially adding a distraction if
> false
>> alarms are an ongoing issue as others have reported.
>>
>> Tom
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
>> Behalf Of sbjknox
>> Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2011 6:45 AM
>> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
>> Subject: REFLECTOR: Low fuel warning, (was) SERG Fuel Lines
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Al Gietzen"<ALVentures at cox.net>
>>
>>
>>> My sump (SE RG) measured at 2.3 ga.  Yes; the fuel warning there is
> pretty
>>> much a 'too late!' light; so you need something else.  I have a
>>> capacitance
>>> probe on one side that reads out on the EM, and had the sight-gauge (no
>>> longer works) on the other.  I like to measure the fuel in the tanks with
>>> the old-fashioned calibrated stick; then set the totalizer and have it
>>> keep
>>> track of usage.  The readout will begin blinking when it gets to less
> than
>>
>>> 6
>>> gallons (not counting sump) remaining. If I slow to 150 KTAS, that gives
>>> me
>>> an hour total.
>>> Al
>>
>>
>> My two sight gages are marked with gallons and are very accurate but are a
>> pain to see in flight.  My totalizer is a great, very accurate real-time
>> indicator but is worthless in the (rare) event of fuel loss due to leak
> from
>>
>> filler caps or other.  My capacitance fuel gage is not as accurate as the
>> sight gages but provides me a "sanity check" on the totalizer. However,
> the
>> capacitance gage goes TU if I get a crappy batch of gas with water and/or
>> (?) ethanol.
>>
>> A passenger in the back seat can give me periodic sight-gage readings if
>> required.
>>
>> Sid
>>
>>
>>
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>

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I don't believe in a government that protects us from ourselves.
Ronald Reagan


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