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Europa-List: Fuel Return Line

Subject: Europa-List: Fuel Return Line
From: Raimo Toivio <raimo.toivio@rwm.fi>
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:11:14
All,
We have a fuel selector valve in fuel line. We try to remember to close 
it before a possible emergency landing. Some pilots close it always when 
not flying and some people close it only during a long storage time.
There is also a fuel return line. That is connected to the tank bottom 
(starboard side /reserve side) if built as per a BM (issue 6, page 6-3). 

I have two guestions:
1) would it be wise to have a 2nd fuel valve in a fuel return line also 
to get an ability to close it or one-way-valve in the case of emergency?
2) why this line is connected to the fuel outlet which locates in the 
bottom of the tank? Why not to the upper corner of the (reserve side) 
tank?
BTW: During this winter I changed all the rubber parts under the cowling 
(oh boy there are really many of them!). I noticed the fuel restrictor 
(FS02) was totally blocked. It was quite hard to open it. I assume it 
has maybe been blocked since almost new because I had during those days 
(2007) an issue with a fuel contamination and suffered a scary engine 
stoppage because of a totally blocked filter during a flight # 7. It was 
good to have a 2nd filter and way to use it by selecting 
=9CRES=9D.
So, I have noticed no problems to use my engine with return line which 
is off-line. There are also many Rotax aplications with no plans for 
return lines in use. What is a main reason we should have a fuel return 
line? To get more fresh cool fuel or what?
Cheers, Raimo
OH-XRT
Finland


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