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Ed
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-----Original Message-----
From: William R. Bayne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 10:31 PM
To: Ed Burkhead
Subject: WRB Re: [COUPERS-TECH] pilot side fuel tank
From: William R. Bayne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 10:31 PM
To: Ed Burkhead
Subject: WRB Re: [COUPERS-TECH] pilot side fuel tank
RLYTECH (WRB via Ed Burkhead's computer-I can't post directly)
Please send responses directly to the list or to me, Bill Bayne @
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hi All (WRB speaking),
In the beginning all Ercoupe tanks were of ternplate (Erco spelling). Prewar coupes had a five gallon nose tank and a nine gallon (right) wing tank. Postwar ones had an additional nine gallon wing tank in the left wing. Follansby Steel still manufactures a later version of "terneplate" (Follansbee spelling). It is primarily used as a roofing material.
Starting with Serial No. 2623 aluminum tanks were installed. The wing tanks, #48147L & R, remained of nine gallon capacity, but the nose tank was redesigned to hold six gallons. Ercoupe Service Memorandum No. 31 says the change was "... to improve the quality of the tanks, render more satisfactory service, and to save weight." We now know some ternplate tanks suffered cracking in service, presumably from (vibrational?) stress.
During this period stainless wing tanks (otherwise identical to the tern ones?) were manufactured and shipped as replacements for Ercoupes Serials 813-2622. To my knowledge, no Ercoupes were ever produced with stainless wing tanks.
Ercoupe Service Memorandum No. 39 detailed the procedure by which aluminum wing tanks, #48147L & Rs could be retrofitted to Ercoupes Serials 813-2622. It also states the aluminum wing tanks were seven pounds lighter than the ternplate ones.
Ercoupe Service Memorandum No. 50 announced "recent" approval of aluminum wing tanks, #48197L & Rs, for retrofitting Ercoupes Serials 813-2622. These are the tanks today referred to as the "eight" gallon tanks. They do not belong on Ercoupes outside the intended serial number range.
Regards,
William R. Bayne
<____|-(o)-|____>
(copyright 2004)
On Mar 7, 2005, at 7:58 PM, Kevin Gassert wrote:
On the 415-C standard tanks were one nine gallon wing and one five gallon header. Two 7.7 gallon wing tanks were an option. I think, but am not sure that the original nine gallon tank was curved along the fuselage so that it did not need cut out and that there is a SB about installing the nine gallon tanks that need the cut out. Does anyone have there SB book handy to check that? The 415-D came with the two nine gallon wings and the 6 gallon header.
Kevin
From: Sydney Cohen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 8:36 PM
To: Randy Helm
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [COUPERS-TECH] pilot side fuel tank
Hi Randy,
The smaller tank is the 8 gallon tank. It was used in the older Ercoupes up to about (I think) serial no. 2000. The 9 gallon tank extends into the fuselage, so there must be a cut-out in the fuselage skin at that point in order to install the 9 gallon tank. You shouldn't have much trouble locating a 9 gallon tank to replace the one you have, and if it's not leaking, it's worth something to someone.
Syd
Randy Helm wrote:
I recently discovered that the pilot side fuel tank is smaller than the other tank by what would appear to be a couple of gallons. I assume someone previously acquired a smaller tank and made it work.
I plan on getting a tank to fit and was wondering if anyone knew whether or not there would be any difficulties changing it back (for instance did the change require that someone made modifications to that portion of the wing root?)
If anyone knows of a 9 gallon tank for a 1946 415-C let me know.
I’m going to pull the wings and recover them so I’ll have some time to work on the tank as well.
Also, what model of ercoupe would the smaller tank be for?
Randy Helm
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