Peter Zutrauen wrote:
>
> hmmmm.. WRT the "tank in the crew compartment" the Katana has same and is
> certified, as is the soon-to-be liberty. Is this a real reg issue? From my
> vantage point, the location of the tank is a plus on the safety factor scale
> in the event of a forced landing in bush country.
>
> other points offer food for thought tho.
>
> cheers,
> Pete
Brevity wasn't clarity, I guess. Reg. sez, "Each fuel tank must be
isolated from personnel compartments by a fume-proof and fuel-proof
enclosure that is vented and drained to the exterior of the
airplane." You can probably think of planes that were grandfathered
before this rule. Whether or not it's safer inside who knows.
Doesn't take too much to harmlessly sever wing tank connections
external to the fuselage, and seems most serious crashes of small
planes don't result in fire. Inside, we typically have electric
wiring in the same tunnel as fairly frangible fuel stuff. Still neat
to have easy wing removal, though.
Fred F.
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