Doug G. Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 My personal minimum is one hour more than expected. Only .5 hr is required. I also calculate on 5 gal. per hour but burn closer to 4.5 (5000 rpm). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 I stick the tasks before the first flight every time I fly. You can read in the NTSB reports how many pilots force land (or worse) with an engine out. They either thought they knew, or they just "looked." The Dynon does no good if you don't enter the amount, or, if you enter the wrong amount, or, if the fuel flow indicator stops working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WmInce Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 . . . "The Dynon Skyviews has a fuel computer function and provides realtime fuel burn during flight. After dipping the tanks the qty can be entered as the initial fuel qty and it will compute fuel remaining based on burn. I dip the tanks and enter the fuel qty into the fuel computer before any long range trip (50nm or more)." . . . You posted on this forum (using a different name), that following a cross country flight, you landed with only 1 gallon left in your header tank. If what you said above is true, please explain how in the world that could have happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baker Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 I almost never take-off with less than full tanks. I start thinking about landing at 1/2 tanks. I fly 2 hour legs. I never stick the tanks because the planes I fly have tab indicators in the tanks. I would do that to, if I were flying a Skycatcher. I rarely fly with much more than half in my CT. With 1/2 fuel the CT matchs pretty close to the Skycatcher in cruising range with 30 minute reserve. I will top it off if I am going on a longer trip and I don't want pick up fuel along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 I would do that to, if I were flying a Skycatcher. I rarely fly with much more than half in my CT. With 1/2 fuel the CT matchs pretty close to the Skycatcher in cruising range with 30 minute reserve. I will top it off if I am going on a longer trip and I don't want pick up fuel along the way. I agree. I fill up if I'm going on a long trip, otherwise I usually take off with around 20 gallons. That's 3-4 hours of flying at least, which is more than sufficient margins for the 45-60 minute flights I usually make. I don't take off with less than 12-15 gallons, even if just buzzing the pattern for a half hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baker Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 10 gallons is what I teach as the no take off minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Eddie, I like the small piece of float in the fuel sight tube. Would like to find a small RED ball that I could put in my sight tubes for this. The fuel tank nipples at each end at smaller diameter of the sight tube and these would prevent the ball from entering the fuel tank. Of course, this is something to put on my "experimental only" check list! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WmInce Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Dick, That's a great idea. Hopefully, you could find a ball which is resistant to fuel stain also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Meade Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 You'll remember that you measure the specific gravity, and by reference the charge, of a battery with a hydrometer with several colored balls that float at different specific gravities. You'd want one that worked the same in both 100LL and Mogas and even Mogas w/ethanol. The ball would have to be stable and not break down in any of those environments. It would have to not hang up in the tube but not pass out of the tube. It would need to be able to sit for long times, deal with turbulence and everything else one could imagine in flight or on the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Without overthinking it, it basically just has to float. And be fuel resistant. Like I said, BING used to use white float material and that worked fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Benson's Eight Law: "Never throw anything away! Ever!" If anyone wants a little piece of the float material, email me and I'll hack off a piece and get it on the way. Just have to whittle it down to the right size and you're good to go. Disclaimer: At your own risk, and if not Experimental may require an LOA or other legal nicety if you worry about that sort of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 This has been discussed a couple of times in years past about putting a float in the sight tube. While you explore this remember the sight tube after it gets bent is no longer round in its interior. It takes an ever so slight oval shape due to the flex which makes the ID even smaller. So the material you used will have to be pretty small and now may be small enough to be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baker Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 http://www.univair.com/piper/piper-pa-11/view-all/u10853-000-piper-fuel-gauge-float-ball/ This will work in the CT. It is large enough that it won't go through the nipples, but small enough to roll through the tube. The one thing you need to be careful of is to not kink or get a sharp bend in the tubing. That can sometimes happen if you don't have the tube cut to exactly the right length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Has anybody with an E-LSA tried using tubes with 90° bends at the top and bottom? It would be easier to read, and the straight center section could be hard plastic or glass that resists discoloration from the fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WmInce Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 http://www.univair.com/piper/piper-pa-11/view-all/u10853-000-piper-fuel-gauge-float-ball/ This will work in the CT. It is large enough that it won't go through the nipples, but small enough to roll through the tube. The one thing you need to be careful of is to not kink or get a sharp bend in the tubing. That can sometimes happen if you don't have the tube cut to exactly the right length. Roger, Will this work with the tubing you install? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 http://www.univair.com/piper/piper-pa-11/view-all/u10853-000-piper-fuel-gauge-float-ball/ I had no idea such a thing existed, but it makes sense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WmInce Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 I had no idea such a thing existed, but it makes sense! My friend, you have lead a very sheltered life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 My friend, you have lead a very sheltered life. More likely just lost brain cells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WmInce Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 More likely just lost brain cells. I can relate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Cesnalis Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 If you put a ball that floats and is too big to exit the tube what happens when you have full tanks? Does the ball float to the top and attempt to seal the opening? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 If you put a ball that floats and is too big to exit the tube what happens when you have full tanks? Does the ball float to the top and attempt to seal the opening? I would think so, but it's a non-issue since when the fuel level dropped below the top of the tube the ball would be be free to travel downward again. The only issue would be if the ball just just the right size to wedge itself in the top nipple and then not come back down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baker Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 I would think so, but it's a non-issue since when the fuel level dropped below the top of the tube the ball would be be free to travel downward again. The only issue would be if the ball just just the right size to wedge itself in the top nipple and then not come back down. The size doesn't let them wedge in place. I purchased 3 of these balls one time. One is here in a desk drawer, and was used for a mockup to see if it would work. The other two shall we say are floating around out there somewhere, at least they were at one time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT4ME Posted June 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 OK... the fat lady is singing... Probable Cause is out. Surprise! Pilot errors aplenty. I'm surprised they didn't call into play all the other crazy things he did and said (before and since). NTSB Probably Cause Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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