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-----Original Message----- From: William R. Bayne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, December 26, 2005 1:37 AM To: Ed Burkhead Subject: Re: WRB Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Useable fuel/datum RLYTECH On Dec 25, 2005, at 6:44 PM, DONALD BOWEN wrote: > > I consider the words of our favorite "guru", WRB, to be intemperate > and out of place in this forum. Hi Don, I have reread my words and agree. I apologize for any and all offense. > I politely questioned the wisdom of "messing with" gascolator fuel > lines by clamping them shut with a visegrip, and disconnecting them to > drain the header tank. > Your reply included the wording/accusations : "ignorant", "ludicrous", > "chicken little mentality" "mature adults", "(lack of) intelligent > involvement", and "preaching doomsday". I should not have taken your "mechanic riding with you on the next flight" comment seriously as it now appears rather "tongue in cheek". Please allow me to eat those words. > I note that your oft-quoted ALON/MOONEY SB # 19 clearly describes the > dangers of draining the header tank without then disconnecting the > gascolator to carburator fuel line at the carburator inlet and > draining off a good portion of fuel in order to remove any trapped air > in the lines. My first sentence began with reference to "Original Ercoupe fuel lines..." I believed the gentleman whose question I answered as to how to determine useable fuel had an Ercoupe (90+% of the fleet). SB #19 applies only to Forneys, Alons and Mooneys, presumably with gascolators mounted lower than the carburetor. You're 100% right though. I should have pointed out the additional consideration of trapped air for the later planes. The "Chicken Little" paragraph I agree as intemperate and out of place in my response to you. No excuse for it. Sorry. > As to "remaining ignorant of my airplane's useable fuel", I suggest an > alternative to taking pieces of lumber and bubble levels aloft to make > imprecise measurements of non-demonstrated value to we non-mechanics ( > but frequent flyers) might be to: check tank fuel levels prior to > flight/assume a 6 gph fuel consumption/keep an eye on the header tank > cap "stick"/ land after 3 hrs to refuel and use a "potty", and > continue from there. I agree that "ignorant" is a poor word choice. We are all born lacking awareness. As we accumulate knowledge and experience our lack of awareness becomes less. This is true of everyone. For an owner to be unaware of useable fuel in their coupe is quite common. It's just a fact, nothing personal. Your suggested alternative is both easy and safe. I would caution that many who do this are not aware up to three gallons of nose tank fuel (half an hour or so of flight) remains when the nose tank cork hits bottom. That information is in no manual. I urge all to calculate it, measure it or take the word of someone that has. > I intend no disrespect, Sir, but ask you, "when was the last time > you actually flew a 'Coupe?" > > > Don Bowen > [EMAIL PROTECTED] No problem, Don. I don't remember the time, but it was right after my preflight :<) Regards, WRB > > ----Original Message Follows---- > From: "Ed Burkhead" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: "Ed Burkhead" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "'Coupe-Tech'" <[email protected]> > Subject: FW: WRB Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Useable fuel/datum > Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 11:52:32 -0600 > > -----Original Message----- > From: William R. Bayne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, December 25, 2005 11:51 AM > To: Ed Burkhead > Subject: WRB Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Useable fuel/datum > > > RLYTECH > > Hi Don, > > Original Ercoupe fuel lines were Resistoflex. Pressure in the gravity > line to the gascolator is approximately 1 psi. Were it not for the > engine compartment heat and vibration, clear aquarium tubing without > clamps would easily serve the purpose. > > As I said, if a fuel line is reasonably flexible (not ten years + in > service), and has not been "upgraded" to those massive "aircraft" > assemblies with threaded fittings on each end (more weight, same > function) or of the stainless external sleeve type, reasonable > pressure applied as described is simply not going to precipitate the > failure you suggest. > > If one were to take one of these hoses and attempt to demonstrate such > failure, the quickest way would be to cut the line in half, try what I > suggest to one piece and subject both to increasing pressure until > failure. > Pressure test each and report back any difference. Do you really > expect either hose to fail at less than 10 PSI? A ten to one safety > margin exceeds most industry standards. > > I see no real danger in carefully following the procedure suggested, > but there is a very real danger in remaining ignorant as to your > plane's useable fuel. I deem the "real" risk of precipitating the > failure you describe utterly insignificant, and your implication such > failure could predictably occur on the next flight ludicrous. If > you're genuinely concerned as to the effect of the procedure on a hose > as it ages, replace the thing with a new one once the nose tank has > been drained and calibrated. No big deal. > You > also know that the inside diameter of these hoses is 1/4"; so if you > prefer, shove a 1/4" > bolt in the hose as a calibration shutoff. Happy? > > We all know of people who should be physically restained from handling > tools. If one works on their plane, I don't fly with them. But most > of us are quite capable of working on our planes to some extent. I do > what I can to encourage this even as I try to point out where there be > real dragons (as opposed to imaginary ones). > > The "Chicken Little" mentality has no place among mature adults who > would enjoy the freedom of the sky but lack the financial resources to > have a mechanic do everything for them. I have little patience for > those who preach doomsday to all who would learn their machine through > progressive study and intelligent involvement in its care and feeding. > An Ercoupe isn't rocket science. > > Regards, > > William R. Bayne > <____|-(o)-|____> > (Copyright 2004) > > On Dec 25, 2005, at 8:49 AM, DONALD BOWEN wrote: > > > WRB wrote: > > > > (1)>>Wrap the jaws of a pair of Vise Grips with duct tape or > > electrical tape. Apply these to the gascolator fuel line, applying > > just enough pressure to close off flow. (This presumes the line is > > still flexible. Replace it if it is not.) Take the fuel line loose > > at the gascolator and drain precisely one-half > > > > > > (2)>>>Catastrophic fuel loss in flight (such as fuel line failure or > > loss of a fuel drain or gascolator) is too rare to worry about in a > > properly maintained coupe. > > > > > > I, for one, would not do (1) above, lest I cause (2) above - nor > > would I authorize my mechanic to do so, unless he agreed to > > accompany me on my next flight. > > > > Don Bowen ============================================================================== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers-tech/
