Fuel Weighs a Ton…

[Piper J3]

A slow news day, so I’ll share a thought…. It’s very easy to pull up to a gas pump and fill tank with fuel and not have any direct association with how much weight you have added to the aircraft. Today I hauled four 5-gallon containers of mogas out to the airplane. 20 gallons is fuel capacity of RV-12. Each container weighs about 30 pounds, so 120 lbs total. Wow….

In my youth (a few years ago) I used to lift the 5-gallon containers and pour directly into the airplane filler neck. I had to hold heavy container while fuel flowed slowly through small snout. Now I have FLO-FAST hand crank fueling pump to do the heavy lifting for me… not to be confused with Flomax which has entirely different use

The Rotax 912 is a small engine @ 1352CC. Almost the same displacement as mid-60’s VW Beetle. It amazes me that the RV-12 airframe and engine are so perfectly matched. Two 200-pound people, 20-gallons fuel, and 50-pounds baggage is still under gross weight and yet the machine climbs 900 fpm and flies 130mph using only 5 gph. Pretty good trick, if you ask me….

 

[Ironflight]

I know what you mean! I keep my little jet at home, and have ten 6-gallon fuel jugs full of JetA on hand. I used to lift them one at a time to fill the 40 gallon tank, but finally built up an electric pump system so that I only have to lift the jugs a couple of inches onto the pump rig, and then use a filler hose with an actual fuel nozzle to fill. Twenty gallons an hour in flight means LOTS of fuel needs to be transferred….

 

[Roadjunkie1]

Fuel in containers....

A slow news day, so I’ll share a thought…. It’s very easy to pull up to a gas pump and fill tank with fuel and not have any direct association with how much weight you have added to the aircraft. Today I hauled four 5-gallon containers of mogas out to the airplane. 20 gallons is fuel capacity of RV-12. Each container weighs about 30 pounds, so 120 lbs total. Wow….

In my youth (a few years ago) I used to lift the 5-gallon containers and pour directly into the airplane filler neck. I had to hold heavy container while fuel flowed slowly through small snout. Now I have FLO-FAST hand crank fueling pump to do the heavy lifting for me…

Yep! Here's a picture of a younger and skinnier me putting unleaded fuel into the Cub. Seems like fuel has gained some weight since then.....

not to be confused with Flomax which has entirely different use

Now THAT'S funny!!

 

[Amadeus]

Now I have FLO-FAST hand crank fueling pump to do the heavy lifting for me… not to be confused with Flomax which has entirely different use

Despite entirely different the need for usage of both begins around the same time...

 

[BobTurner]

Years ago I was a partner in a 182 with a MoGas STC. We had a couple of 40 gal steel gas tanks from an RV (land-cruiser kind). The tanks themselves could be lifted when empty by one person, into a car’s trunk. But you couldn’t lift them out again, after filling, until you pumped the gas out.
Even more years ago, I had a 1964 Beetle. Pretty sure it was 1200cc. It always started and ran.

 

[rcarsey]

I got a pretty slick setup for mogas.

I found this 14-gallon plastic tank on Amazon.. I usually land with at least 6 gallons, so I am usually able to top the tank off.

I removed the vent cap and replaced it with this valve stem from Advanced Auto Parts. No drilling or anything required.

They also sell those tire inflator connectors that lock onto the stem.. the ones you usually lock onto a bicycle tire (cant find part #).

I then hook my shop air to it at about 5 psi.. pressurizing the red fuel tank. Its enough to force the fuel out and up a few feet to the airplane, but less than the pressure that builds up in the tank due to the gasoline -- so I know the tank can handle that pressure OK. It'll move 10 gallons in a few minutes.. and there's no worry about electrical pumps..or pump parts/debris getting into the fuel, etc.

The most "work" I do is to pull the tank out the back of my Toyota RAV4 onto the ground..then wheel it into the hangar. Still not as convenient as using 100LL.. but I have to remember I'm saving myself an oil change by using. mogas. Use it 8 times and it pays for itself vs. 100LL..

 

[Taltruda]

I got a pretty slick setup for mogas.

I found this 14-gallon plastic tank on Amazon.. I usually land with at least 6 gallons, so I am usually able to top the tank off.

I removed the vent cap and replaced it with this valve stem from Advanced Auto Parts. No drilling or anything required.

They also sell those tire inflator connectors that lock onto the stem.. the ones you usually lock onto a bicycle tire (cant find part #).

I then hook my shop air to it at about 5 psi.. pressurizing the red fuel tank. Its enough to force the fuel out and up a few feet to the airplane, but less than the pressure that builds up in the tank due to the gasoline -- so I know the tank can handle that pressure OK. It'll move 10 gallons in a few minutes.. and there's no worry about electrical pumps..or pump parts/debris getting into the fuel, etc.

The most "work" I do is to pull the tank out the back of my Toyota RAV4 onto the ground..then wheel it into the hangar. Still not as convenient as using 100LL.. but I have to remember I'm saving myself an oil change by using. mogas. Use it 8 times and it pays for itself vs. 100LL..

Using air pressure to move gas almost seems like a bomb in the making.. I either use a shake siphon, hand crank pump or even a battery powered transfer pump. Perhaps someone can chime in about the dangers of using air pressure to move gasoline, I always thought that was a big no-no.

 

[rv8ch]

Static

Take care when using plastic cans. Static can build up and ruin your whole day.

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/98-111/default.html

Some tips I've learned from various places:

• use a metal can
• place the can on the ground before fueling the aircraft
• wipe down plastic cans with a damp cloth
• use a mr. funnel or another conductive funnel

 

[Piper J3]

At very least... I would add grounding wire from plastic tank to metal frame of airplane. Best practice is to connect everything - airplane and fuel container - to earth ground.

 

[Amadeus]

At very least... I would add grounding wire from plastic tank to metal frame of airplane. Best practice is to connect everything - airplane and fuel container - to earth ground.

My fueling set up involves two 10.5 gallon FLO-FAST containers in the FLO-FAST dolly/cart and the FLO-FAST hand crank pump. https://flofast.com/product/flo-fast-professional-21-gallon-system/ The pump has a ground wire that I attach to the aircraft and I have a coiled grounding wire https://www.grainger.com/product/9W...:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231&gclsrc=ds&gclsrc=ds that I installed at the hangar door by attaching to one of the hangar structure bolts https://us-browse.startpage.com/av/...eb43a51567c48e67dfc71cded3bea4c79da5c4e1e79f0 that I also attach to the aircraft.

 

[Blw2]

.... while fuel flowed slowly through small snout...Now I have FLO-FAST hand crank fueling pump to do the heavy lifting for me… not to be confused with Flomax which has entirely different use �� ......….

ha ha.... entirely different application perhaps, but VERY similar use I would say

 

[seagull]

My system.

12 volt, 8 gallon / minute pump, standard pump trigger nozzle. The filter filters to 17 micron and removes water. The system is grounded to aircraft, pump, and hanger. The jugs hold 6.3 gallons each. To date I have pumped over 3700 gallons and no issues.

http://waltsrv12.com/fun-stuff/electric-fuel-cart/