Dipstick for RV-12 fuel tank

[Platyius]

Although I installed the replacement sight glass in my tank before completing it, I find it a pain in the butt to use. I find you need good light and have to rock the aircraft to see the level of fuel. When pumping fuel into the tank one has to walk around to the other side to see where you are up to so you don?t over fill the tank. Now I use a dipstick as people have been using for many years, the most fool proof method yet. I use a 31 inch piece of steel measuring tape coated on one side with tank sealant so it has a mat black surface to show the fuel level and a blob of sealant on the end so it doesn?t scratch anything going down. The tape bends to the shape of the filler tube as it is inserted and is easily stored behind the seats in the u section running across the aircraft.
My Dynon fuel gauge works well but I still have the belt and braces approach to flying
Tony

 

[rjtjrt]

There is an inherent trap in dip sticks for tanks that need a flexible dip stick.
There was a well known problem with the Victa aircraft dip stick (Victa is an aircraft Australian/NZ and UK pilots will know of). The Victa dip stick was segmented with a string running down middle joining all segments and a spring tightened the string once inside tank to stiffen the segments into line.
It was possible to get a false high fuel reading if one of the the flexible segments folded over once in tank.
Platyius - less likely with your solution but still possible to get caught. Thus use carefully and ?repeat measure to make sure 2 dips indicate same fuel quantity.
John

 

[JBPILOT]

OR THIS :

You can see this while FILLING, OR FLYING !

John Bender

 

[Threetracker]

There ya go, John!

Best $53.00 John Bender ever spent! Moeller and I both thank you. The Dynon gauge is quite good, but the Moeller gage is even more accurate.

Jay Sluiter
Albany, OR 97352