Time for a rant.

(The pix shows a Sullivan 10oz tank I just did this morning. It is ‘okay’ but not really good and there is no satisfaction for me from such a sorry job. It will probably work for a couple of years before turning to crap, causing me repeated dead-sticks with the sport plane in which it is installed (again).)

The worse part of making model airplanes is…. the fuel tank. Some people complain about hinging, some detest soldering, and so forth – but I am convinced that building the tank is much more hateful.
First of all, the manufacturers give you a tank KIT, not a tank. The little parts inside could easily be prebent in mass - to exact standards. The stopper could maybe be made of something less infuriating to try to push the tubes through, damaging them in the process so the tank will fail after a while. The assembly could be worked out so that, even if you have to do it, it is less of a pain and less likely to incur damage. I think the engineering of these things is generally abominable.

- I know that there are European tanks, not easily available in the USA, which may be far better – I wouldn’t know. It doesn’t matter because I can’t get them anyway.
- I also know that electric power would solve all my tank issues. Of course this would introduce a whole new universe of irritating problems.

I would bet that there are TRICKS to building tanks that I haven’t heard - better ways to BEND brass tube, better ways to SLID them through the stopper without using pliers which screw up the tubes, etc. and better ways to MOUNT the tanks other than the half-a#### methods I use.

I would love to hear about them.

It would also be good to know if there are people out there who will build a tank for someone else for a reasonable price. I would love to phone or e-mail someone and order an ASSEMBLED Sullivan 12oz slant tank, or whatever my current project calls for.