Bluelabel
Well Known Member
So, last week, we discovered our first major BOO BOO....
In starting to plan for attaching the wings, we were noting how we wanted to connect the fuel lines, i.e. make a piece of tubing, get hoses made etc...
Since we are going with the EFII Fuel Injection, we off course need a full return line into the tanks since it runs much like an automotive loop. Our fuselage had the return lines already plumbed when we got it since he was gong to put a Subaru in it. So we just had to plan on it for the tanks.
As it turns out, we placed the return line to the tank right where it will be in the way of the main spar... OUCH!!!
How could we have done such a bonehead thing you ask? Well, return lines are not part of the plans and it was one of the first times we had to make a decision as to where something would go. We picked a spot far from he fuel pickup but somehow didn't account for the spar....
After sulking over it for 30 minutes feeling like an idiot, and looking up every known adapter and fitting in existence, we came to the conclusion that the only fix is to bite the bullet, cut into the tank at the end, remove the the bulkhead fitting from the inside (as it was put in), seal it up, put in a new one, then seal the tank back up.... not looking forward to it.
I've been having dreams (well nightmares) that the first time we put fuel into the tanks that, even though they passed all our tests, they for some reason are going to leak like a siv. Maybe my subconscious knew what we did.....
The worst part.... 1/2" further out and we'd be fine.....
In the immortal words of Homer Simpson..."DOH!!"
In starting to plan for attaching the wings, we were noting how we wanted to connect the fuel lines, i.e. make a piece of tubing, get hoses made etc...
Since we are going with the EFII Fuel Injection, we off course need a full return line into the tanks since it runs much like an automotive loop. Our fuselage had the return lines already plumbed when we got it since he was gong to put a Subaru in it. So we just had to plan on it for the tanks.
As it turns out, we placed the return line to the tank right where it will be in the way of the main spar... OUCH!!!
How could we have done such a bonehead thing you ask? Well, return lines are not part of the plans and it was one of the first times we had to make a decision as to where something would go. We picked a spot far from he fuel pickup but somehow didn't account for the spar....
After sulking over it for 30 minutes feeling like an idiot, and looking up every known adapter and fitting in existence, we came to the conclusion that the only fix is to bite the bullet, cut into the tank at the end, remove the the bulkhead fitting from the inside (as it was put in), seal it up, put in a new one, then seal the tank back up.... not looking forward to it.
I've been having dreams (well nightmares) that the first time we put fuel into the tanks that, even though they passed all our tests, they for some reason are going to leak like a siv. Maybe my subconscious knew what we did.....
The worst part.... 1/2" further out and we'd be fine.....
In the immortal words of Homer Simpson..."DOH!!"