Usher fuel caps vs Cessna killer fuel caps

[AirbusPilot]

Hi Folks,

I was reading some information about Cessna 210 (I am not going to buy a certify plane) and read something very interesting about "Cessna Killer Fuel Caps", they said they leak water inside the tank, I saw a pictures and they look very similar to Usher fuel caps. My plane is almost every night inside a hangar but I have live it outside maybe 2 or 3 times outside in the rain (I know I have been a bad father) but never found water on my tanks, are Usher better and different design than Cessna killer caps???

Cheers,

Fernando

[ppilotmike]

I would think whether or not the cap is vented would determine if there are problems with water intrusion. I'm not familiar with the Cessna "Killer" Caps, but I haven't heard of people having issues with "modern" flush type fuel caps. Vans aircraft (except maybe the 12) use non-vented caps.

[LarryT]

My -6A is hangared except when traveling. After being tied down at Green Bay during a visit to OSHkosh, I had water in one side when I checked. One of the fuel caps was leaking water into the tank during rains.

Remember, you will have enough good fuel in the lines to taxi out and run up.

If you don't sump and there's water in the tank you select for take-off, you will be about 200 -300 ft. AGL when the carb ingests the water. Nothing good will come of this.

Please make fuel sampling a priority.

Larry Tompkins
N544WB -6A
W52 Battle Ground WA

[riobison]

I owned a 1969 Cessna 177A Cardinal from 1985 to 2005. It had the killer caps on it but I never changed them out, as it was a Service Bulletin only. As well why would I want to ruin the looks of the thin laminar flow wing that the 1969 Cardinal had, I just couldn't install those ugly looking umbrella caps that came out for replacements.

What I did do was changed out the O-rings every year and kept the plane hangered most of the time when not in use. It had sat out in local monsoons as well as those in Oshkosh and I never had any water in the fuel.

I was never able to find the proper square o-rings for it but I found some fuel compatible regular o-rings that fit tight and worked fine for my 20 yrs of ownership.

I wonder if all of those problems with the Cessna Killer Caps were really caused by lack of maintenance? Or was there a problem with the original square o-ring?

Tim

[BobTurner]

The real problem with the Cessnas, which resulted in the famous 'rock and roll' A/D, was the combination of caps which could leak water if an O ring was worn, and rubber fuel bladders which developed wrinkles on the bottom and acted as small dams and kept the water from reaching the quick drains - until after takeoff, and a little turbulence or wing rocking let the water overflow the dams, into the engine.