Harmut, No no no no. Absolutely not!!! (DANGER, DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!) The aeroplane is not grounded. So, setting the tank on the ground will NOT equalize it with the plane. RIGHT ANSWER: Clip one end of a wire on the tank, and the other on the plane, then open and pour. Problem eliminated. This is just a junior version of the problems we deal with when hooking up to a hovering helo. Those hummers generate a butt-load of static electricity. The first guy on the ground (by definition, grounded) to reach up and grab the helo-lowered cable, gets "tasered" so to speak. That is why we always keep a GROUNDED grounding hook handy. Same thing with the tank. Get a wire between it and the plane, first, and you will have no electrical potential with which to spark off your explosion. My two cents, Dave Winters -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Hartmut Beil Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 1:28 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ercoupe-tech] Re: Plastic Gas Cans John, wouldn't you think that just resting the cans on the ground before using will do the same job? After all, this is what the gas stations are recommending. Put the container on the ground before filling. Same problem should be solved by pretty much the same solution. Hartmut ----- Original Message ----- From: John <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cooper To: ercoupe-tech@ <mailto:[email protected]> yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 4:59 PM Subject: RE: [ercoupe-tech] Re: Plastic Gas Cans The danger of plastic cans is very real. I had an article about a plane that was lost due to static discharge during a fueling incident using a plastic can, but I can't lay my hands on it right now. Anyone who has used a shop vac with a plastic hose has felt the hairs on his arm stand up when the hose passes close by. This is the same effect. The fuel running out the plastic spout can generate a serious static charge, but the real issue is when the plane's tank and the can are at different potentials prior to touching. Now you're touching the can's spout to the tank filler neck and the spark, if any, will be in just the right place to light the vapors above the filler neck. The solution is to ground the can to the airframe away from the spout and filler neck. A ground point can be made by attaching a wire to the upper (above the fuel level) part of the can with a big aluminum pop rivet and backing washer. The logistics are left as an exercise for the student. Attach the ground to the airframe, or the tank if it's a plastic tank, away from any vapors, then pour away. When filling the can, remember, the pump is grounded to the earth. Put the can on the ground first; problem solved. John Cooper Skyport Services 518 797-3064 www.skyportservices.net
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