Wow, had to read all that a couple of times to absorb it all. Thanks for all that information, gives me more to add to my "to do" list.
--- In [email protected], William R. Bayne <ercog...@...> wrote: > > > Hi Larry, Donald... > > Yes. It's called "calibration" of useable fuel. Incidentally, if you > can get a flexable clear piece of tubing to fit tigntly in a 1/2" 2-3" > piece of copper tubing...before you do the following, try to siphon out > the garbage (water, guck, etc.) that collects along the back and bottom > of the nose tank and along the inboard lower area of the wing tanks. > (Some tanks have baffles that do not allow this to be productive). > > This is an update from an off-list post 8/28/07: > > Get a new Skyport "Rain-Pruf gauges with the tube over the wire. > Unless you dry, clean (with acetone) and coat old corks with epoxy, the > old shellac coating will dissolve in today's fuels allowing the cork to > become increasingly saturated with fuel. This will change your > readings over time. > > Take some tape, 1/2 a old-fashioned wooden clothespin and a short (6" > or so) level up and trim the plane for "cruise" in level flight. Once > "set", tape the "uphill" side of the level to the side window sill. > Then slide the tapered half clothespin up under the "low" end of the > level until it reads "level, and tape everything at that end in that > position. When you land, your nose tank fuel level is as the transfer > pump and internal overflow establish it. > > After shutting down, raise the tailcone such that the level again reads > "level, and block it on a padded sawhorse. Get a clean five gallon > bucket and a one-gallon (calibrated) container-measure. Put a "ring" > of 1/16" red tape around the gauge so that from the cockpit the top of > the wire just touches. This is "Full". > > Drain one gallon at the carb. Put another "ring" of 1/16" red tape > around the gauge so that from the cockpit the top of the wire just > touches the second ring. This is "Down one gallon". Repeat, marking > "Down two gallons. Repeat, but if the gauge has bottomed out, put > gasoline back into the tank in 16 oz. (one pint) increments until it > just floats. You now know the precise range your gauge can indicate at > the precise angle in flight. > > Remove whatever small amounts you added to get back to a "three gallons > down" condition, and carefully measure the remainder of fuel you can > drain. You know it's all useable, because you got it the same way the > engine does (by gravity). > > I recommend you calibrate your wing tanks in two steps at different > times. First, fly them dry (so your nose tank gauge is down some > obvious amount and land. Fill the wing tanks four gallons alternately > in each side and top off to about 1/2" below the neck, allowing the > tanks to equalize on level ground. The quantity they took is your > total wing tank capacity. It should be between 16 and 18 gallons. > > ASAP, fly the wings dry again. Again, block up the tail as explained > above. Divide your total wing tank capacity by eight. Put this amount > in each wing tank and allow the fuel to even out (side-to-side). Mark > your wing tank fuel gauge "!/4". Repeat, and mark "!/2". Repeat and > mark "3/4". Repeat and mark "Full". > > Keep regular records of fuel consumption and tachometer (not Hobbs) > flight hours (not Hobbs), adding an asterisk to cross-country flights. > Use the WORST fuel burn for the previous year on cross-country flights > for flight planning cross country flights. With this information you > can always determine with great accuracy how long you have been in the > air and how much more time you have before starting on your "reserve". > By staying aware of your over-the-ground progress with checkpoints and > a stop watch, you will know with great accuracy when you should reach > your next planned stop; and whether favorable conditions allow you to > extent the leg or adverse conditions demand you shorten it. > > Good luck, > > William R. Bayne > .____|-(o)-|____. > (Copyright 2010) > > -- > > On Mar 28, 2010, at 19:12, hogowner82 wrote: > > > Has anyone measured the drop in the header tank fuel gauge stick > > versus gallons? If I remember correctly, there's about four gallons > > left when the tip of the stick disappears. Personally, I would like to > > know how much fuel I have left if the fuel pump quits right down to a > > dry tank. > > Larry Dixon > > N99493 > > On Mar 28, 2010, at 19:54, Donald wrote: > > > > > A similar measurement I would like to have is exactly how much remains > > in the wing tanks when the wires touch the cap. Due to the dihedral > > approximately 2 gallons are still useable when they show empty. I > > know I can fly quite a bit yet until the header tank starts going > > down. > > >
