Byron Staggerwing Fuel Tank Mounting  
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Byron Staggerwing Fuel Tank Mounting - 9/4/2008 10:52:36 PM   
RickVB



Posts: 610
Joined: 8/21/2002
From: Novi, MI, USA
Status: online 		I looked around, but I don't think this has been addressed specifically here. The original design of this plane has the gas tank mounted sideways on the back of the firewall, held on by rubber bands. This obviously t has it's drawbacks, so I attempted to do something different.

First attempt was with a Graupner 500cc tank which is fairly blocky (nearly a cube), which would actually fit between the firewall and the main landing gear bulkhead (the reason why the original design had it sideways is because a normal shaped tank of reasonable size for a Q35 won't fit any other way). I mounted it using eight hooks on the back of the firewall and eight rubber bands. This seemed to work, but I hadn't anticipated the amount of occillation I would see in the firewall (1/8 plywood, yeah I know but it is the designed thickness, has worked for a large number of these planes, and the thing is built already). After 1/2 hour of trial running tuning the engine, just before I was going to taxi out for it's maiden flight, the engine started quitting on runup. After looking around, I noted that the vibration had caused the tank to flip on it's end (still in place under the rubber bands)! Clearly, this isn't going to work.

SO, the debate is 1) keep the tank and position, but build a more sold mount on the firewall (adding weight to an already nose-heavy model, and will I have fuel foaming problems?), 2) Try to mount it on the gear bulkhead somehow (haven't figured out a reasonable way yet), 3) move it behind the landing gear (difficult to create a good platform without adding a lot of weight, might be right in the cockpit window, too long of a fuel line run?) 4) something else?

Anyone else take this on yet? Gary, are you still out there?

_____________________________

Rick Vera-Burgos
Novi, Michigan
       Post #: 1

RE: Byron Staggerwing Fuel Tank Mounting - 9/5/2008 2:42:50 PM   
JeffH


 

Posts: 657
Joined: 1/17/2002
From: Carrollton, VA, USA
Status: offline 		On the one I had years ago, I mounted mine sideways and put a small header tank on the front side of the firewall to alleviate and fuel starvation from the side mounted tank. Mine had a full cockpit, so moving the tank was not an option.

(in reply to RickVB)
       Post #: 2

RE: Byron Staggerwing Fuel Tank Mounting - 9/5/2008 7:28:28 PM   
RickVB



Posts: 610
Joined: 8/21/2002
From: Novi, MI, USA
Status: online
quote:

ORIGINAL: JeffH

On the one I had years ago, I mounted mine sideways and put a small header tank on the front side of the firewall to alleviate and fuel starvation from the side mounted tank. Mine had a full cockpit, so moving the tank was not an option.


How well did that work? It seems like every time you turn toward the clunk side of the tank, you'd be sucking air at least part of the time, so a few sharp manoevers and your header would be full of air...

_____________________________

Rick Vera-Burgos
Novi, Michigan

(in reply to JeffH)
       Post #: 3

RE: Byron Staggerwing Fuel Tank Mounting - 9/5/2008 8:56:13 PM   
RickVB



Posts: 610
Joined: 8/21/2002
From: Novi, MI, USA
Status: online 		Another idea just occurred to me, which I think I'll try to rig up tonight. I could put the tank where the air tank is currently located, behind the belly hatch below about the middle of the top wing, and then stack the air tank on top of that somehow. The only drawback is the fuel line run will be about 18-20". Is that too long for an engine like this?

_____________________________

Rick Vera-Burgos
Novi, Michigan

(in reply to RickVB)
       Post #: 4

RE: Byron Staggerwing Fuel Tank Mounting - 9/6/2008 2:35:29 PM   
sedrick


 

Posts: 64
Joined: 10/23/2003
From: Naperville, IL, USA
Status: offline 		I mounted mine as suggested on the back of the firewall but put the long axis vertically to prevent fuel starvation on turns near the end of the flight. I di use alot of rubber bands

(in reply to RickVB)
       Post #: 5

RE: Byron Staggerwing Fuel Tank Mounting - 9/6/2008 2:50:40 PM   
RickVB



Posts: 610
Joined: 8/21/2002
From: Novi, MI, USA
Status: online
quote:

ORIGINAL: sedrick

I mounted mine as suggested on the back of the firewall but put the long axis vertically to prevent fuel starvation on turns near the end of the flight. I di use alot of rubber bands


So what happened in loops?

_____________________________

Rick Vera-Burgos
Novi, Michigan

(in reply to sedrick)
       Post #: 6

RE: Byron Staggerwing Fuel Tank Mounting - 9/7/2008 3:54:09 PM   
sedrick


 

Posts: 64
Joined: 10/23/2003
From: Naperville, IL, USA
Status: offline 		Centripital force keeps the fuel at the bottom of the tank. Avery slow roll may cause a problem as well as inverted flight, but I don't fly this one inverted

(in reply to RickVB)
       Post #: 7

RE: Byron Staggerwing Fuel Tank Mounting - 9/8/2008 5:17:00 PM   
JeffH


 

Posts: 657
Joined: 1/17/2002
From: Carrollton, VA, USA
Status: offline 		Mounting it vertically on the firewall will work fine barring no extended inverted.
As far as a Header tank and air, it can't get air in it since it stays full until the main tank runs dry. If the main tank clunk is exposed to air, it does not hurt, since the header's clunk is constantly submersed in fuel. The fuel level in the header will drop until the clunk in the main tank starts sucking fuel again and it will refill the header. Header tanks are used in the Helicopter and old slimer Ducted Fans to get air out of systems before going into the carb.
The clunk on the main tank is hooked to the vent on the header. The vent on the main tank is vented to atomsphere, and you fill/drain from the clunk line on the header via a T or fueling valve(I never use them though, always get air leaks.) I think this is the proper plumbing schedule, search around here and it will come up.

Jeff

(in reply to sedrick)
       Post #: 8

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