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Seat Tanks

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Posted

Anybody have any experience with the 7 1/2 gal seat tanks that LEAF sells. Not necessarily in a Avid/Fox but in any aircraft?

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Posted


Seen them on Gyro Copters they sit nice. But I have only sat on one for ten minutes.

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Posted

I was conversing with a fellow Kitfox owner and we thought that might be an easy way to add fuel cap. Removing the original fiberglass seat and installing 2 of the seat tanks in its place. Some don't like sitting on 7 gallons of fuel in a crash but, really wouldn't matter a whole lot if it was severe enough to rupture a seat tank. Even using wing tanks to back up the seat tanks would in effect be a header tank only a 7 1/2 gal header tank. In my case, fly using the seat tank till its low and then refill using the wing tank. Since I have 2 6 gal wing tanks, overfilling wouldn't be a big issue. Plumbing isn't a big deal either, and probably easier than with the standard rear 1 1/2 gal header tank. Not going to do it without some more figuring and thought, but just seeing if its possible rather than redoing a wing to add a extra fuel tank. I don't think I'd ever need a 25 gal fuel cap. but who knows?

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Posted

I have a 5 gallon behind the seat type tank that I am considering installing in my Kitfox IV. It only has one wing tank so my capacity is pretty low. Would love to have the extra 5 gallons on board rather than have to use 100ll. I don't see any reason to not do this. I figure I would install a pump to actually pump it back up to the wing, that way at least I would know hoe much fuel I have. Obviously the weight is the only big thing. 

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Posted

I've posted this before, but here is what a friend of mine did with his Avid A model.  5 gallon plastic tank behind the seat, and an facet electric fuel pump to move the fuel up to his main tank in front of the instrument panel.  Pretty simple solution really.  He did have to unhook his flaperon control rod on that side when he folded the wings.  JImChuk

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Posted

The auxiliary wing tanks are an option too.  They hold 5 gal each and very easy to take on and off.  I have them plumbed so I can just plug them in and then pump them into a wing tank with at Facet pump when I need the fuel, and they are easy to drop off somewhere so you can go into a short areas as light as possible and them pick them up on the way back. You will have to fab up a mount; I made one using aluminum angles so I can just set them on the lift struts and attach with hose clamps around each strut.  Gives me 38 gal.

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Posted

Those are also an option, and maybe a better one, Since we do get a bullet hole thru the plane on occasion around here, sitting on a gas tank might not be too smart. I took one thru the challenger a couple years back. Went thru the prop and aileron missing the engine by about a foot.  Mountain flying is exciting, more ways than one!

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Posted

Wow u must have been flying over a moonshine still site. Hahahahahaaaaaa

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Posted

Or flew low one time to many over that cute young lady sunbathing in her back yard....:lmao:JImChuk

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Posted

Those are also an option, and maybe a better one, Since we do get a bullet hole thru the plane on occasion around here, sitting on a gas tank might not be too smart. I took one thru the challenger a couple years back. Went thru the prop and aileron missing the engine by about a foot.  Mountain flying is exciting, more ways than one!

I find this totally unacceptable, sick. It saddens me to know that some play with other's life like that.

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Posted

Could have been either one!  Anyhow that's not unusual around here.  We don't fly in deer season here, either. Back to the seat tanks, fuselage is too narrow for twin seat tanks so I'll live with what I have.

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Posted

The behind the seat tank is pretty simple, I probably have all the parts yet after parting out that plane for his widow (for liability concerns/worries)  JImChuk

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Posted

Or flew low one time to many over that cute young lady sunbathing in her back yard....:lmao:JImChuk

I would also be the guy that circles around for a second look.

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Posted

The auxiliary wing tanks are an option too.  They hold 5 gal each and very easy to take on and off.  I have them plumbed so I can just plug them in and then pump them into a wing tank with at Facet pump when I need the fuel, and they are easy to drop off somewhere so you can go into a short areas as light as possible and them pick them up on the way back. You will have to fab up a mount; I made one using aluminum angles so I can just set them on the lift struts and attach with hose clamps around each strut.  Gives me 38 gal.

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Do you remember where you got those tanks? Any close up pictures of the mount? I like the idea of having the fuel at near the cg mark so it would not affect anything while transferring. 

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Posted

Kenneth,

I got these from California Power Systems but they are kind of spendy. There may be other places that sell them so you might check around on the internet.  If I remember right, I used two 1.5"x1.5" x 1/16 aluminum angles turned face to face and bent the angles of each to match the lift strut angle and make the vertical leg plumb.  Then riveted in spacer plates and bolted and riveted on the hangar plates cut to fit around the lift struts along with some additional straps in case something cracked and broke.  Kind of took the belt and suspenders approach.  I can see no real loss in cruise speed with them on and as you say, no change in CG.

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Posted

Perfect Randy, easy enough to see how you did it from your description and pictures. They look so small on your plane with those huge tires, I still love the looks of your plane. Awesome build that really gets used the way it was intended. 

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Posted

After serious consideration I decided to put the 3.5 gal header tank back in. I have a fuel gauge in it and serves as a low fuel warning. That gives a total of 15 gal cap and that's plenty for this old man with the old bladder. The extra weight behind the CG might help the flare according to all info I've read.

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Posted (edited)

After serious consideration I decided to put the 3.5 gal header tank back in. I have a fuel gauge in it and serves as a low fuel warning. That gives a total of 15 gal cap and that's plenty for this old man with the old bladder. The extra weight behind the CG might help the flare according to all info I've read.

Moving your CG toward the rear of the envelope actually helps all phases of the flight, not just the flair.  At least, that is what I have found in my flying.  With it being a "header tank" as you drain fuel from the main tanks into it, your CG will move more rearward as you burn the fuel off but I doubt you could ever get it past the published limits.  I run mine beyond the published limits quite often.

:BC:

 

 

Edited by akflyer

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Posted

That seems to be the general thought from everything I have read and heard. I generally run all of my past aircraft from the middle of the CG range to the rear and all have done well. But its good to hear it from an experienced Avid/Fox pilot.

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