REFLECTOR: fixed the leak

[Terry Miles]

Oh the stories only builders can tell!

 

Congrats, Doug.

 

Regards,

Terry

 

  _____  

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Douglas Holub
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 4:34 PM
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Subject: REFLECTOR: fixed the leak

 

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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