The RV-8 of a friend of mine

[dilamipo]

Hi guys
One friend of mine is buying an rv8 , this plane has one superior engine XP-IO-360-B1AA2 .
My friend want to use it in inverted flight so he want add a christen and a flip-flop in one tank.
Someone has experience with that engine? Do you know if there are known problems with that engine?
No one has modified a tank from standard ( quick build kit) to flip-flop type?
Thank you for your time

Ciao
Dimitri


Ps. I'm writing for my friend Marco because he has a worse than mine ;-)

[izzybear]

Welcome aboard Dimitri! I don't have any answers for you - but you have come to the right place to get answers! Enjoy the build - or your friends build and have fun!

[N208ET]

Adding the flop tube to the tank will be pretty easy I would think, remove the inboard wing cuff fairing, take off the round access plate/fuel tank sender on the inboard end of the fuel tank to get access, remove what you don't need, install the necessary parts and your on your way. I would use proseal to seal up the access plate when you are done, goop everything up real well and when you are screwing the screws back in, don't just tighten until the screws bottom out, tighten each a little at a time using the star pattern and when proseal is oozing out, all the way around, stop tightening. The screws will be pretty close to being all the way in but not quite if you get my drift.

Randy
8A flying

[Andy Hill]

Dimitri / Marco...

XP-IO-360-B1AA2 fine engine, and I am doing exactly the mods you state.

Adding Christen (or maybe Raven better, and use smaller tank?) as per instructions. Ensure it is done with someone who underatands the finer points of positioning the valves / angling them for optimum performance.

Flop Tube: 99% sure you need to remove the tank, certainly easier if you do:

1. Make new cover plate - use old one to drill holes in correct place.
2. Use inner part of old cover plate as Tank Sender reinforcement plate - holes already lined up. You might need to cut a slot in it to get it in bay 2
3. Move Tank Sender to Bay 2
4. Drill front of Tank / Fuselage support 9/16" (I think) hole for Flop Tube. Use 90deg fitting from old cover plate.
5. Reach in through access hole to add the "flap" bottom / aft of 1st baffle, cover up middle hole in 1st baffle, add 2 "anti-hang up" strips.
6. Wirelock Flop Tube to 90deg fitting
7. Pro-Seal in Flop Tube + 90deg fitting, Sender + Plate, Access plate.
8. Flush thoroughly with drain removed to get rid of all swarf etc.
9. Pressure / Leak test
10. Re-fit.

Ensure breather exits close to exhaust to minimise oil on belly

[caffevictoria]

Hello Andy,
I am the friend of Dimitri and I wanted to thank for the detailed explanation.
I read that you're doing what I want, too.
Have you already started? if you'd be so kind as to post some photos of the details of mounting Chrisen or better than the Raven.
Even if you follow the instructions, possibly the choice of location ..........you think better
Thanks
P.S.
Sorry for my english

[lancef53]

I have done the process on that engine and on a completed tank. The inverted stuff is pretty straitforward, get a raven kit and follow his instructions. The flop tube is not bad, just messy with the proseal. If you already have capacitive senders, they might be ok. You might want to add the small door on the tank rib to keep the fuel from running away from the first bay too quickly. The instructions are in the standard plans. Remember to do the SB to keep the flop tube safety wired.

[Andy Hill]

Have you already started?

We fitted a "Half Raven" sometime ago. "Half Raven" is the Tank, Breather Tube and Sump return - it allows for short inverted flight periods and not losing oil, but no inverted Oil Pressure. 4" Tank went, looking forward, on Firewall top Right side i.e. easily visible through Oil Door.

Tank I have completed and is leak testing as I speak. If you want some pictures of the tank, please eMail me / post your address and I'll send them. And a photo of the Tank.

Remember to do the SB to keep the flop tube safety wired

Good point, as #6 in post above. Easy to do since the Flop Tubes come from Vans pre-drilled now.

Oil Valve: as Lance says , see Raven Instructions / Diagram from their website http://www.ravenaircraft.com/ - I have not yet fitted it, but see the Oil Valve gooing below the tank on the right lower firewall.

[Ettore]

Originally Posted by caffevictoria

Hello Andy,
I am the friend of Dimitri and I wanted to thank for the detailed explanation.
I read that you're doing what I want, too.
Have you already started? if you'd be so kind as to post some photos of the details of mounting Chrisen or better than the Raven.
Even if you follow the instructions, possibly the choice of location ..........you think better
Thanks
P.S.
Sorry for my english

Grande! Ora ho capito perch? hai venduto lo Sparviero!
Pensa dove mi tocca andare per scoprire queste belle sorprese... speravi di tenerlo segreto ai VFRFlight forumisti eh?

Ciao e complimentoni!
Ettore di VFRFlight.

[scsmith]

Originally Posted by N208ET

Adding the flop tube to the tank will be pretty easy I would think, remove the inboard wing cuff fairing, take off the round access plate/fuel tank sender on the inboard end of the fuel tank to get access, remove what you don't need, install the necessary parts and your on your way. I would use proseal to seal up the access plate when you are done, goop everything up real well and when you are screwing the screws back in, don't just tighten until the screws bottom out, tighten each a little at a time using the star pattern and when proseal is oozing out, all the way around, stop tightening. The screws will be pretty close to being all the way in but not quite if you get my drift.

Randy
8A flying

Sorry, putting the flop tube in is not this easy. But I've done it. You have to take the tank off the wing. The flop tube pick-up installs way up toward the leading edge in the root rib. Then, you have to install a couple of parts inside that prevent the flop tube from getting hung up in a corner. And, since the flop tube would interfere with the usual location for the fuel level sender, you must move the fuel level sender to the next bay outboard by cutting a hole in the back of the tank.

[caffevictoria]

Originally Posted by Ettore

Grande! Ora ho capito perch? hai venduto lo Sparviero!
Pensa dove mi tocca andare per scoprire queste belle sorprese... speravi di tenerlo segreto ai VFRFlight forumisti eh?

Ciao e complimentoni!
Ettore di VFRFlight.

Va bene mi avete scoperto
Ho cominciato le modifiche per renderlo pi?........... frizzante.