REFLECTOR: Fuel gages, was Floaters

[Chuck Jensen]

Sid, et al,

Thanks for the leads and ideas.  I had the same concern about my fuel
flow totalizer.  It's very, very accurate, but if a cap is loose or a
leak between the tanks and the totalizer develops, one could find
himself flying along with great confidence---but no fuel.  The GRT
capacitance indicators in the tank should be reliable, but many a time
I'm glad, with a little neck craning, I was able to confirm the exact
level of juice.

I take it the photo showing 65 gallon capacity wasn't from your Velo.
If it was, you get the big-tank award.  Or, if it was in liters, you get
the teenie-bladder award.

Thanks for all the ideas.
Chuck Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Sid Knox

Here is an alternate method that takes advantage of the difference in 
optical refraction of fuel vs. air.
The date was year 2002 and as you note Tygon was new and clear...now, 
darkened but still flexible.
It has always been rather dark back in the hole and unless the sunlight
is 
just right, I usually use a flashlight to view the gages.  Part of this 
viewing problem is due to my "old eyes".  My 17 year-old son can easily
see 
the gages (even with the darkened Tygon).

My Vision Microsytstems EPI 800 gives me "calculated fuel remaining" but

after reading stories of fuel being siphoned out of a filler cap, which
the 
EPI 800 would know nothing of, and because of my difficulty in viewing
the 
sight gages, I became paranoid and installed
a digital readout (with low-level alarm) on the panel that uses a 
capacitance gage sensor.

Fine print:  the refraction idea is not mine...  I read about it in (?) 
Kitplanes.

Sid Knox
Oklahoma

Velocity  173 RG  N199RS
Starduster  N666SK
KR2         N24TC
W7QJQ

----- Original Message ----- 
From:To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list"
<reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 6:08 PM
Subject: REFLECTOR: Floaters


 Tygon darkens a bit in color over time (and yes, it
is still soft and supple, not hard and ready to crack) and is close to
the color of fuel.  When the fuel is sloshing around, its a bit easier
to see, but I want the two-second recognition solution. My quest is to
find a little red ball, or similar color, to put in the tygon tubing
that will float on the fuel.

During earlier postings, an integrated fuel sight gauge with ball was
discussed (and liked by many), but I don't want to change tubes, I just
want to plop balls in the tubes.  Any idea on a source or substitute
that could be used?

Chuck Jensen






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