Ever used a Swagelok fitting with 5052-O?
 

Hi VAF,

Have you ever used a Swagelok fitting with 5052-O?

I'm looking at a tight quarters application up against a tube bend where it seems like Swagelok would fit but a typical flare fitting would not.

Thanks!

Short answer is an emphatic YES.
Swagelok fittings are the fitting of choice in the Glasair Sportsman build. They are very skookum stuff, heavily used in the petroleum industry.

If using Sagelok fittings, make sure you buy their go/no-go gauge to ensure you have them cranked down tight enough. Very easy to use.

In our Sportsman I have had three tiny fuel leaks in the fuel system. Every one of them was at an AN flare fitting. Zero were at Swagelok fittings (which outnumber AN flares in our airplane likely 5:1). Other than the fact they are patented and proprietary technology, I see no reason why they wouldn't and shouldn't become the defacto standard for general aviation. They are a far better solution than AN flares and have far fewer opportunities for builder error to creep into the equation for those of us who build our own airplanes.

Sorry for the long response - it's just this forum is normally very strongly weighted to the "if it doesn't bear an AN marking then you had better not use it" conformist view. Glasair took a different view and I'm very glad they did, otherwise I would likely never have been introduced to what I find to be a truly superior alternative.

Swagelok is a great fitting for compression series installations. Pricey, but excellent.

Tom

Canadian_JOY,

Thanks for sharing your experience! Does Glasair generally use the steel or brass fittings?