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Fuel System Interesting Occurrence

Bob Axsom

Well Known Member
Today (3-20-05) EAA Chapter 732 had the monthly meeting in the FBO conference room at Drake Field, Fayetteville, Arkansas. We had a very good turnout of unique homebuilt aircraft. Joe Terminella brought his original design tractor configuration autogyro that recently completed its first flight (it looks very good by the way) and Jim Younkin flew in his original design Mullicoupe in addition to a wide assortment of kit and plans built airplanes. My tanks are full in anticipation of a trip to California tomorrow or as soon as the weather permits. I had to take my RV-6A back to the hangar on the other side of the airport after the meeting and I could fly en route or just taxi there. Well I decided to fly. As I was cleared to takeoff on runway 16 there was an Aeronca on downwind east of the field. I took off with the left main tank selected. I was doing a fairly steep climbout over the runway when the tower said I could turn downwind so I dropped the left wing and did a sharp turn (on the order of a 90 degree bank with some up elevator) leveled off and trailed the other plane at about 60 kts. He landed and rolled out to taxiway delta and as he was clearing I dropped the left wing and did a hard slip to the runway. The landing was normal and I taxied to the hangar. After I pushed the plane back in I noticed a pool under the forward fuselage and on closer examination I determined that it was coming from the right main tank vent ( the one that loops up under the fwd fuse skin then goes back down through a modified AN fitting in the bottom of the fuselage. I said to myself the tank must be pressurized, I will just remove the fuel cap and relieve it - WOW I was surprised at the quantity of fuel that gushed out of the tank fill opening. Like I said, it was interesting - as in I've never seen that before. Thought I would share the experience.
 
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