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PIN 37

Well Known Member
So here is a bit of history. I built my wings and tanks about 5 years ago and they have been stored in a safe place for that long in the standard Vans wing rack as per the plans. now I am just about to do the final assembly and fly (at long last) the aircraft. Now when I built the fuel tanks I put flop tubes in both tanks, I just thought at the time that if I wanted to do some aeros I would not have to change tanks.
Being as how there is a lot of experience here, I wonder what the general community thinks, do you see any potential problems.
 
flop tube thoughts

here are my thoughts about 2 flop tubes

1 its added weight to carry around

2 some what more prone to failure or requiring time change or maint.

3 having one tank with the standard pickup means you should always know that pick up is at the lowest part of the tank.

I have a flop tube in the right tank of my -4 with the thought of someday adding an inverted system ( very unlikely now ) I just replaced that tank and gave serious thought to deleting the flop tube but ended up retaining it just in case.

just something to think about.

cm
 
Good comments from the 2 previous posts.

I did the same thing, flop tube in both tanks.

Why? Didnt want to have to thi about which tank I was on "if" I wantedt o go inverted. Do I do that a lot? Nope.

My buddy told me about having to have to change 2 instead of one 10 years from now amd I asked him is it harder to change 2 then 1? He said no, just a little more time. Then he helps me install both of them.

When I did my low level check I was able to nearly burn both tanks dry. So I didnt suffer there.

I am not upset I went with both, but not sure I would do it again.
 
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flop tube

Phil,
I have one flop tube and the other standard. I assume you plan on both inverted fuel and oil systems. My RV is used almost exclusively for acro practice in the local area, and the engine has coughed and sputtered numerous times when either I forgot to switch to the flop tube tank, or the fuel level in the flop tube tank got to about 4 gallons or less, usually after several seconds of negative Gs or on vertical down lines like hammers and humptys. When it coughs and I'm on the wrong tank, I switch tanks. If I'm on the flop tube tank, I switch tanks and go home. If you're on the wrong tank and the engine sputters, it's not a big deal in my opinion, as long as you still have sufficient gas. The other rule for acro is that you practice over an area that you can land if the engine quits.
Bill McLean
RV-4 slider
lower Alabama
 
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