blueflyer
Well Known Member
Probably rehashing old stuff here, but I didn't see the answer to my question in the archives. I understand the rocket style fuel vents are just coiled a couple of times and then out the bottom of the wing. Seems elegantly simple and right up my alley.
I want to use this coiled vent system in my 7, so I recently installed the coiled vent system in the wing tanks on another, currently flying experimental for a test run. The fuel system is a little different that an RV. On this one, the engine is fed by a main header tank behind the panel. It does have auxiliary wing tanks. Both wing tanks feed into the main tank. Previously, these wing tanks have not been used to transfer fuel to the main tank. I just flew using the main header tank. I had always burned about 9gallons per hour.
I made 2 test flights where I transferred fuel to the main tank. On both flights, the fuel burn was about 12 gallons per hour. There was no fuel loss in the wing tanks due to expansion or siphoning prior to flight. All power settings were the same.
That leaves me to guess that turning and/or turbulence during flight caused the 3 gallons of fuel to escape through the coiled fuel vents. If that is the case, I don't want that system on my 7.
Am I missing something, because that seems to be the only solution to me. My mind has "locked on" to this one explanation and I am not be able to think about other logical explanations for the fuel loss.
Anyone have any other ideas?
I want to use this coiled vent system in my 7, so I recently installed the coiled vent system in the wing tanks on another, currently flying experimental for a test run. The fuel system is a little different that an RV. On this one, the engine is fed by a main header tank behind the panel. It does have auxiliary wing tanks. Both wing tanks feed into the main tank. Previously, these wing tanks have not been used to transfer fuel to the main tank. I just flew using the main header tank. I had always burned about 9gallons per hour.
I made 2 test flights where I transferred fuel to the main tank. On both flights, the fuel burn was about 12 gallons per hour. There was no fuel loss in the wing tanks due to expansion or siphoning prior to flight. All power settings were the same.
That leaves me to guess that turning and/or turbulence during flight caused the 3 gallons of fuel to escape through the coiled fuel vents. If that is the case, I don't want that system on my 7.
Am I missing something, because that seems to be the only solution to me. My mind has "locked on" to this one explanation and I am not be able to think about other logical explanations for the fuel loss.
Anyone have any other ideas?