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Re: Europa-List: Re: Covering vents

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Re: Covering vents
From: Trevor <trevord@orcon.net.nz>
Date: Wed, 31 May 2023 08:45:50

One idea that made sense to me was :

CONNECT all the bright red "remove before flight" covers with string or rope 
with
an ending in the cockpit with another large "remove before flight" tag on the
end.

This way, once you have the string/rope bundle inside, you know you have ALL 
your
"remove before flight" covers removed and put them in a bag inside the aircraft
during flight.

Having seen the effects of a friend driving a Beach Baron off the end of the 
runway,
because he forgot to remove the pitot cover and then reacted incorrectly,
writing-off a nearly new aircraft, I think this makes sense to me ! It also
means that you will not forget to put one or the other of the covers on, as they
will be "loose" on the string whilst on the ground.

Kind Regards
Trevor

On 31/05/23, 8:35 AM, "Alan Burrill" <owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com on
behalf of alanb@dpy01.co.uk> wrote:


    I have made pitot and fuel vent covers from clear plastic tube. The tube is
bent double and slips over the fuel vents and also Pitot:static and has the red
remove before flight tags attached. 

    Alan

    Sent from my iPhone

    > On 30 May 2023, at 21:11, rparigoris <rparigor@hotmail.com> wrote:
    > 
    > 
    > Hi Group
    > 
    > A few notes on Fuel Vents:
    > ** I owned a 170 that had the flippy pitot and fuel vent covers. I had a
dapper wasp somehow get into the pitot and the airspeed was dead? Took a while
to figure out just how. Then one day walking up to the bird when it was pretty
darn windy, noticed both the pitot and fuel vent flippy covers were opened 
because
of the wind! Again it was howling and it both were on top of high wing.
Anyway noticed a dapper wasp land and crawl into the fuel vent!! Took a few 
hours
to clean out a nest that she built. Even though there were 2 holes drilled
on the aft side of the fuel vent, it would not have helped. I suspect with the
Europa being a low wing and my fuel vent on the bottom of fuse, may need more
wind that on a high wing to open
    > ** As Bud has, we mounted the fuel vent on our Mono on the bottom of the
fuse. we too have 2 holes drilled aft. We installed a flippy cover:
    > https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ah1S270Nwg9VgoFrWgK4zHNaHsxwUg?e=gGz1pO
    > You need to copy and paste full URL into browser to view
    > **  Am not a big fan of an aeroplane engine (or any other engine as a 
matter
of fact) that decides to play silent night when not commanded to do so. Have
been around enough to know that if you don't let air into a fuel tank and a
vacuum forms, fuel flow slows or stops. Thus we added a second fuel tank vent
to our Mono that vents inside the cockpit. If one were to do such a thing and
just have a opened tube, besides fumes getting into the cockpit, when you decide
to land turtle and can't get out, fuel can spill into cockpit. We installed
a fuel rated one way diaphragm valve (white with nipples) and in series a Brass
fitting with ball check valve. If you go inverted, the white diaphragm valve
should stop flow, but it's kind of important it doesn't leak, so if it were
to leak, the check valve should stop flow. We also installed a screen filter
to keep snakes out. Using a clear tube, you can blow into it and try sucking to
verify the one way diaphragm valve is working. To veri!
     fy!
    >  the Brass ball check valve is working, by putting  a magnet near it and
moving, if you hear the ball jiggling, chances are really really good it will
function as designed. If the fuel vent were to get clogged, it's true that 
pressure
could build in the tank, and I'm a lot happier to have some pressure in
the tank, than a vacuum, just over the trees. Here's some pics:
    > https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ah1S270Nwg9VgoFsZ5At3nvRBSpDOQ?e=FKXQw4
    > 
    > Ron P.
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > Read this topic online here:
    > 
    > http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=510886#510886
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > 



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