chrispratt
Well Known Member
Some folks thought it was funny when I came up with fuel vent covers for my RV-8. But what I witnessed yesterday vindicated my efforts. I wouldn't have believed this if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.
It was another windy day in North Texas and rather than fly I decided to do some maintenance. As I was looking at the airplane, one of my fuel vent covers was blown off by a wind gust. Within seconds, a flying intruder landed on the fuel vent and climbed up the opening. "You s&%ofa$#2," (I was applauding his precision landing
). I waited for him to back out of the tight location only to find he apparently liked it there.
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg121.imageshack.us%2Fimg121%2F8702%2Fcloseupoffuelventwithin.th.jpg&hash=7ea821f79bf7948b2a7b6ee5ff0b64e3)
(Click for larger view -- You can just see the stinger inside the opening)
Now I doubt that having that one little invader in there would block the fuel vent and cause my tank to crumple inward during flight -- but then again maybe it might. I didn't know if this little guy was going to deposit mud for a nest, or have babies that like to feed on 100LL.
So I spent the next hour taking the vent line off (gotta remove the cover which means removing the upper gear leg-fuselage fairing which means....you know the story.) Anyway the result is shown in picture number two below. Looks like a small yellow jacket or similar type with a nasty stinger.
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg69.imageshack.us%2Fimg69%2F7049%2Fimg2465g.jpg&hash=b6bc7899b8e1fb7f23ff13e9897ec5d6)
So, if you don't cover your fuel vents now, you might want to reconsider especially during this time of year when bugs are building nests.
Chris
It was another windy day in North Texas and rather than fly I decided to do some maintenance. As I was looking at the airplane, one of my fuel vent covers was blown off by a wind gust. Within seconds, a flying intruder landed on the fuel vent and climbed up the opening. "You s&%ofa$#2," (I was applauding his precision landing
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg121.imageshack.us%2Fimg121%2F8702%2Fcloseupoffuelventwithin.th.jpg&hash=7ea821f79bf7948b2a7b6ee5ff0b64e3)
(Click for larger view -- You can just see the stinger inside the opening)
Now I doubt that having that one little invader in there would block the fuel vent and cause my tank to crumple inward during flight -- but then again maybe it might. I didn't know if this little guy was going to deposit mud for a nest, or have babies that like to feed on 100LL.
So I spent the next hour taking the vent line off (gotta remove the cover which means removing the upper gear leg-fuselage fairing which means....you know the story.) Anyway the result is shown in picture number two below. Looks like a small yellow jacket or similar type with a nasty stinger.
![](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg69.imageshack.us%2Fimg69%2F7049%2Fimg2465g.jpg&hash=b6bc7899b8e1fb7f23ff13e9897ec5d6)
So, if you don't cover your fuel vents now, you might want to reconsider especially during this time of year when bugs are building nests.
Chris