ORIGINAL: model pilot 14
This Past summer was my first year flying a glow plane(Hobbico avistar) On my last day at the field for the summer I began fueling up and noticed it was taking longer than normal. I then noticed fuel leaking out of where the landing gear were attached to the plane. I cleaned it all up and put it away for the year. I was wondering if it is a good idea or not to drill a hole in the bottom of the fuselage in the fuel compartment to allow fuel to spill out there rather than fill up , go over the ribs, and send my radio gear floating downstream. Also let me know how I can better fuel proof the interior so the fuel doesn't get into the balsa
Thanks
Nick
You do not need to drill a hole for the fuel to run out - fix the problem. It sounds like your problem is one of 2 things. Either the tank has a hole in it or the stopper/lines are loose or bad.
You will need to pull the tank out of the plane. I suggest taping a piece of string to the fuel lines before pulling them out - it will help you a lot when reinstalling the tank.
After you get the tank out check the plug to make sure it is tight. If it is tight AND there is no visual damage to the tank AND/OR fuel lines, plug/crimp off ONE of the silicone lines and blow through the other. For easy identification of where there is a leak, submerge the tank in a container of water while you do this.
If the tank is bad, replace it. I have not found a repair for the tanks that lasts very long before the fuel does it in.
You want to spray the inside of the fuel compartment with K2R to get the oil from the fuel out of the wood. Spray it on, let it dry, brush it off. You will probably need to do several applications to get the oil out.
Once the oil is out of the wood (and for future reference), brush a THIN application of thinned epoxy on the inside of the plane. I use 30 minute (or longer) epoxy and thin it down about 10% by volume with acetone. A plumber's flux brush works great for this. Another possibility would be clear dope. The epoxy will be a lot more fuel proof though.