ORIGINAL: RCKen
ORIGINAL: opjose
The problem with the fuel stiffner is that when you have approximately 1/3 of a tank left or less, and you go nose down, the engine can become fuel starved.
This still doesn't happen. Remember, you are dealing with inertia here. Even with only a small amount of fuel in the tank, if you put the plane in a nose down attitude the fuel will STILL remain in the back of the tank. It's nothing but pure physics. The inertia of the fuel and plane keeps the fuel in the back of the tank. The only time fuel will flow to the front of the tank when the plane is nose down is when there is no forward motion on the plane. I'm sorry to say this, but there is NO circumstances where the clunk should ever be in the front of the tank. As Missleman said, if the clunk were somehow to go forward the fuel line would be pinched anyway and not pickup any fuel.
Ken
No you don't have it quite right.
The fuel is traveling the same speed as the airplane. It will "lay flat" along the bottom, if the plane noses down, the fuel flows downhill starving the engine.
The only time that the fuel stays at the back of the tank is when the plane is accelerating at a relatively high rate (say 6/8 "G" dependant upon inclination). Then inertia kicks in.
This is pure physics...
There is no problem with the clunk traveling forward provided that it cannot get entangled or stuck. If anything this is preferable as it permits the clunk to remain where the fuel is.
The fuel line does not get pinched if you have things set up right... especially it's length.