Fuel tank and venting
- BucF16
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 463
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:47 am
- Location: Alexandria, Ohio
Re: Fuel tank and venting
Clark, Mine is like John Nealson's . Mine is Highlander 393. Fiberglass tanks. I followed the directions that Dane described. I just checked the flow through my vents and they were acceptable. So I'm not shitting myself over this issue. I assume Shawn tase the AL tanks with the Citabria type caps. Maybe they are not venting correctly???
Cheers,
Bruce
Cheers,
Bruce
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
- BDA
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 707
- Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:25 am
- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Fuel tank and venting
Cap I am using
Yes aluminum tanks
I cannot blow through the holes
Yes aluminum tanks
I cannot blow through the holes
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SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
- mac
- Seasoned Member
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:57 pm
- Location: Grass Valley, CA.
Re: Fuel tank and venting
Will check the other tank tomorrow. Ran out of time tonite. Will report back.
Yes, I have noticed an imbalance in my tanks when flying.
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Mark M.
N49SS in Phase 2....for good!
N49SS in Phase 2....for good!
- mac
- Seasoned Member
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:57 pm
- Location: Grass Valley, CA.
Re: Fuel tank and venting
Found both caps with only one small slot for venting. Drilled out the other side with a 5/64” drill bit. Didn’t grease the bit. Just blew the crap out of it! See pic. Discussed again with Just. This is essentially what they recommended.
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Mark M.
N49SS in Phase 2....for good!
N49SS in Phase 2....for good!
- BDA
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 707
- Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:25 am
- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Fuel tank and venting
Did you drill the vent holes on the outside edge too??
I am assuming the problem is that there is no venting from inside holes to the outside holes.
I am assuming the problem is that there is no venting from inside holes to the outside holes.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
- Tralika
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 386
- Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:49 pm
- Location: Wasilla Alaska
Re: Fuel tank and venting
My Highlander does not feed fuel evenly from both tanks. The left tank empties first. Both fuel caps are vented the same way and I can't tell any difference in the resistance when blowing air through them. I've flown other planes that fed unevenly, it's not really a problem, just a distraction and annoying. In other planes it made me check the fuel selector valve over and over. Don't have that problem with the Highlander.
John Nealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
-
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 356
- Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 11:40 am
- Location: Cave Creek, AZ
Re: Fuel tank and venting
Do you have one or two header tanks? If one, do you have a vent line going from the header to one tank? If two, do you have a vent line from each header to each tank (one per side)? Just curious...Tralika wrote:My Highlander does not feed fuel evenly from both tanks. The left tank empties first. Both fuel caps are vented the same way and I can't tell any difference in the resistance when blowing air through them. I've flown other planes that fed unevenly, it's not really a problem, just a distraction and annoying. In other planes it made me check the fuel selector valve over and over. Don't have that problem with the Highlander.
Clark
Building SuperSTOL Kit 512
Cave Creek, AZ
Cave Creek, AZ
- Tralika
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 386
- Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:49 pm
- Location: Wasilla Alaska
Re: Fuel tank and venting
I have one header tank, about 2.5 gallon mounted on the right side of the baggage area. I flew it for many hours with no fuel vent, then installed a vent from the header to the right tank. The vent made no difference on the way the left fuel tank empties before the right fuel tank.
John Nealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
Wasilla, Alaska
Highlander Extreme #191
mykitlog.com/jnealon
- mac
- Seasoned Member
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:57 pm
- Location: Grass Valley, CA.
Re: Fuel tank and venting
Shawn: I only drilled through the inside alum skin. It appears the vent path to the 4 “outside” vent holes, those holes outside the circular seal ring, were sound.
If I had it to do all over again, I’d figure out a way to vent the header tank. At this point, quite a pain, since I’d rather fly! Not sure it would solve all the flow imbalance problems, but seems reasonable. Maybe a winter project!
Will be flying later this week and see if any improvement with what I’ve done.
If I had it to do all over again, I’d figure out a way to vent the header tank. At this point, quite a pain, since I’d rather fly! Not sure it would solve all the flow imbalance problems, but seems reasonable. Maybe a winter project!
Will be flying later this week and see if any improvement with what I’ve done.
Mark M.
N49SS in Phase 2....for good!
N49SS in Phase 2....for good!
- BDA
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 707
- Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:25 am
- Location: Kenai Alaska
Re: Fuel tank and venting
I drilled out the vents around the sides of the caps, i can blow air through now. But the caps are so tight on the tanks that I wonder if they are deforming enough to block the vents.
Will try them out tomorrow.
Will try them out tomorrow.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
- BucF16
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 463
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:47 am
- Location: Alexandria, Ohio
Re: Fuel tank and venting
Shawn, I'm going to HiJack your thread a little bit.
SO, I haven't vented my 5 gallon header yet. I have fiberglass wing tanks. I really don't want epoxy a bung and then drill and tap both the bung and tank. Debris from drilling could get in the tank, The bung could some day detach itself..........
What do you all think of a vent (like the ones used on the fuel caps) attached to the butt rib. Much like the pitot is attached to the wing rib?
Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Bruce
SO, I haven't vented my 5 gallon header yet. I have fiberglass wing tanks. I really don't want epoxy a bung and then drill and tap both the bung and tank. Debris from drilling could get in the tank, The bung could some day detach itself..........
What do you all think of a vent (like the ones used on the fuel caps) attached to the butt rib. Much like the pitot is attached to the wing rib?
Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Bruce
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
- danerazz
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 1240
- Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:33 pm
- Location: Bangor
Re: Fuel tank and venting
I epoxied an an-nipple into the tank end on the right wing tank for a header vent. I put a vacuum at the point that I drilled and tapped the fiberglass, I think it got most of the debris. Then I mixed some west system epoxy and coated everything (nipple threads and inside the hole in the tank) and then mixed som flocked cotton into the remainder of the resin and built a fillet around and under the hex and tightened the nipple. Pretty easy, only took about 30 minutes plus cure time.
Dane
Paralysis by analysis
#242
Paralysis by analysis
#242
- CanadianSheepHunter
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 678
- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:05 pm
Re: Fuel tank and venting
I spoke with a guy recently that has a SS he didn't build but he feels the length of line from wing tank to header tank(supply to header tank) must be the same length for each wing. Does that make sense to anyone? He also has forward facing 90 degree candy canes on his wing tank fuel caps.Tralika wrote:I have one header tank, about 2.5 gallon mounted on the right side of the baggage area. I flew it for many hours with no fuel vent, then installed a vent from the header to the right tank. The vent made no difference on the way the left fuel tank empties before the right fuel tank.
Im still building so i want to know how to solve this.
- CanadianSheepHunter
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 678
- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:05 pm
Re: Fuel tank and venting
This is one of my fuel caps on my SS. The one hole is there...the other hole is not there. I will drill out now, thanks guys! I’m still building. The top pic is the the one with the hole, the other two pics showing the spot that should have a hole.
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- CanadianSheepHunter
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 678
- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:05 pm
Re: Fuel tank and venting
Here is my other fuel cap, it has both holes open.
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