To de-fuel or not to de-fuel that is the question
Aloha All,
I've always heard, and pretty much always seen modelers defueling their planes after a day of flying. Why?
Obviously if you don't think you will be flying for an extended period of time it's probably a pretty good idea. But if you pretty much know you will be flying the following week (ah paradise) why would it be recommended to de-fuel the plane? I'm speaking primarily of glow fuel, but it would be interesting to hear comments on gas and turbine fuel as well.
It's virtually impossible to get all the fuel out- so there's always some fuel left in the tank. Is the concern that fuel will congeal in the tank and cause blockage?
With the exception of the vent line- the fuel system/tank (at least mine) are as closed as the fuel container the fuel would be pumped back into (also with vent). Jets from what I can tell are totally sealed, in fact I would think a full tank of fuel would be better than an empty one- no air to condense water into the fuel...
Is there a functional reason for this practice- or is it just "good practice". If I recall correctly - full scale light aircraft always keep their tanks full.
Mahalo, Mark
[8D]