I purchased the ARF Piper Cub, and assembly is going slow, as I am trying to follow the manual word for word.

I am stuck. The manual pretty much says, '...then install the fuel tank." !! What?

Can somebody help me? I have attached a picture of where I am in the assemble process. Does the tank just wrap with foam, and slide in there? It isn't held down by anything?

Also, as you can see in the picture, there is one tank that is fully "assembled" from a trainer crash. The other tank is the one that came with this kit. Can I use the one from my Alpha? That would at least be a good start.

Thanks for any help offered.

Basically all you need to do is wrap the tank in foam (I put a couple of rubber band around mine just to hold the foam in place) and then slide it into place in the fuse. Ususally there is nothing to hold the tank as it fits in pretty tight. Plus the fuel line from the tank to the carb helps to hold it in place.

Follow the directions for the fuel tank. Depending on the manufacturer, you should find the tank, a rubber stopper, a plastic back plate, a front plate, a metal clunk, a short piece of fuel line and 2 brass tubes.

Again, depending on the manufactuer, you want to line up the rubber stopper so that only 2 holes are available (1 accepts the brass tubing for the carb and the other goes to the muffler). Insert 1 of the brass tubes into the front plate, rubber stopper and back plate far enough to get the fuel line attached to it. Measure and cut the fuel line according to the instructions. Attache the fuel line to the brass tube and to the metal clunk. Look into the tank from the outside and make sure that the clunk is as far back into the tank as possible and will move without hanging up on the back wall of the tank.

Once you get that figured out, you can very carefully cut the front of the brass tube to whatever length you choose making sure that you have enough to attach the fuel line to the carb.

The second brass tube needs to be worked into the stopper and both plates like the first one was being very careful not to rip or gouge the rubber stopper. Once you get a small piece of the brass tubing exposed on the back side of the stopper setup, very carefully and very gently bend the tubing up to about a 45deg bend. Again be very careful bending the tube or it will collapse where you are trying to bend it.

Once you have it bent, slide the whole stopper setup into the tank and by holding the tank up to a bright light, make sure that the bent tube is as high as possible without touching the top of the fuel tank.

Then you can cut the front of the tube to whatever length you choose making sure that there is enough of the brass tubing to attach fuel line from the tank to the nipple on the muffler of your engine.

If you are going to use the tank from you Alpha and it has survived a crash, make sure that the Alpha tank does not leak, does not have cracks or anything else that would cause it to leak. If the tank is good and it will fit your cub, then by all means use it. Hopefully you remembered to fuel-proof the engine and tank areas of the new cub before installing the and engine mounts. Also, I hope that you have checked all possible joints of your ARF to make sure that they are good solid joints - especially at the firewall (sometimes the glue used on ARF's is not the best in the world and neither are the joints) and reinforce where necessary.

I hope that this helps you with your fuel tank question(s) and hope you have good luck with your new cub.

Happy New Year,

Trope,
if the one from the Alpha fits and hasn't been compromised by the crash, by all means use it. Wrap it in foam as pictured and use enough so it can't move around. The center of the tank should align with the approximate center of the carb for your side mounted application.

The long tubes included with the new tank are the parts that pass through the rubber fuel stopper. One is used for the tank vent and is bent toward the top of the tank on the inside. The other is generally trimmed shorter and a piece of fuel line with a clunk is attached which will reach to the far end of the tank.
The vent line attaches to the muffler pressure port and the other to the carb inlet nipple.

Thanks so much for all your help. I am new, and no doubt hooked on flying! I am self taught ( with 60 hours on a simulator before first flight ) and my Alpha lasted about 30 landings before I clipped a tree branch - then decided to move up to the Cub! I am so ecxited, and trying to get it built steady and true - we are having 50 degree sunny days no snow out here in Iowa ( and PLENTY of fields... lol )

Finishing my coffee, and then heading back to the cub to get this tank installed!

Happy New Year everyone!