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Old 12-08-2002 | 05:25 AM
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JimBrown
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Rockland, ON, CANADA
Default Flight time

I'm planning a scratch built Skyburner and am trying to modify it to carry more fuel, just not sure how much fuel it needs
Jim,

I had a Skyburner XD-91 (the kit from Oldtimer Aircraft) that I flew this past summer (until it hit the runway at full speed.)

As designed, the Skyburner does not have enough width in the fuselage to fit saddle tanks. I ended up putting a 24 oz. Sullivan tank in the bottom of the nose section, just forward of the rearmost nose section former (where the inlets starts.) I carved away some of the large triangle pieces at the bottom to allow the tank to sit lower. I also velcro'd a 2 oz. hopper tank to the top of the main tank, situated to one side of the center line. You need the hopper tank with this setup, without it, after a couple of minutes of flight, any diving maneouver will allow the main tank clunk to pick up air. About five or so seconds later, the air reaches the carburator. Not good.

The fuel line ran from the pitot on the fan to the main tank vent,
from the main tank clunk to the hopper vent, from the hopper clunk to the remote needle valve, and from the remote needle valve to the engine carb. (Didn't need to mess around with tee's with that setup.) I also had a third fuel line in the hopper tank to fill and empty the system, the brass tubing for the fill line curved around to the bottom front of the hopper tank.

With that setup, I could get seven to eight minute flights with a good reserve for go arounds.

Yes, it does make for nose heavy take offs, but if you set up the landing gear so that the wings have a two to three degrees of positive angle of attack relative to the runway, it takes off quite nicely. You must balance the jet empty.

Something else you may want to consider. Separate flaps. I set my Skyburner up with them, and it sure slowed the landings down.

Have fun!
...jim