Steve,
When I was at Flight Crafters, Russell and I cut out Joe Deriders tank.
Cut the cockpit module top off about 1 inch or so down.. Once the tank
top is exposed, you will best be served by drilling small holes to get
the saw in and then cutting the tank out in pieces. We used an air saw
with a Dremmel and air cutters with every imaginable attachment. Clean
up the reinforcing plies and then look hard at what caused the split.
The glass reinforcements do really stick quite hard. Check also that
the front spacers are not putting too much push against the tank causing
it to buckle under the tank expansion. Your tank split is the first one
I have heard of not as a result of a really hard landing or something
that may have caused the fuselage to buckle. A Tri gear can bend the
fuselage and cause a lateral tension failure on the bottom of the
aircraft, but you have got to hit really hard. Mono can bend more
longitudinally, but you have got to hit really hard.
Replacing the tank was no major problem for us and if I remember, Joe
had an enlarged the fuel access holes, or we cut it to make one long
"Double D" which made the refit of plumbing and lower attach bracket a
breeze. Two days of sweat. Like eating an elephant....One bite at a
time.
Bud Yerly
Custom Flight Creations.
----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Hagar<mailto:hagargs@earthlink.net>
To: europa-list<mailto:europa-list@matronics.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 1:47 AM
Subject: Europa-List: Down for the count - fuel tank leak
After having the aircraft down for awhile with the fuel tank drained
to avoid having stale gas present I noted a leak upon gassing it up. I
was going to bring it over to Phoenix Composites to have the prop
rebalanced. It looked like it was coming from the lower feed boss
where the big piece of short hose is clamped on. I was in a hurry and
going on vacation in 2 days for a few weeks. I didn't want to deal with
it then so re-drained the tank to re-address it later.
Upon re-gassing it up upon return the gas started flowing out at a
rate of about a third as fast as I was pouring it in! Upon inspection
it was determined that it was coming from a crack in the tank near the
bottom of the saddle section reserve side where a fiberglass layup
support is attached. It appears that the strapping has acted as a
stress raiser along with expansion and contraction in the AZ heat.
In any case it looks like it may have to be sawzall time for the top
of the cockpit module for repair. Has anyone gone through a repair to a
fuel tank an a fully built aircraft? What was the routine? I am not
looking forward to this and am possibly considering just parting the
aircraft out. I could have been out flying and pumped all the fuel out
of the reserve return side in a matter of about 10 minutes if I didn't
light it off.
Feed back appreciated
Steve Hagar
A143
Mesa AZ
914
Airmaster
Steve Hagar
hagargs@earthlink.net<mailto:hagargs@earthlink.net>
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Europa-List<http://www.matronics.com/N
avigator?Europa-List>
|