My friend is building a Topflight Contender.I think it is new gold edition.He said when he installed the engine's tank it was sitting about 1 inch below the needle valve.Did anyone experience this problem or did he make a serious mistake somewhere?

Phil

The fuel tanks are pressurized thats what the line that goes to the muffler does so it will likely still work. Sometimes its impossible to get the fuel lines above the the needle valve So you just get it as close as you can and don't sweat it. That said an inch seems like a lot and he should have been able to get it closer than that by using a different size/ shape of tank or drilling the fuel lines in another location (regardless of what the plans say). Even if it doesn't work its any easy fix.

Let me ask the original poster for clarification. Is the centerline of the tank one inch below the needle? Or is the top of the tank one inch below the needle? Which it could be, if he mounted it under the tank compartment instead of in the tank compartment. In which case it would require some fabricated covering, but I'm just asking.

If the centerline of the tank is one inch below the needle, and mixture is adjusted with the plane upright, there will be a problem in the air when the plane is flown inverted. The mixture will go rich, and probably kill the engine.

If the top of the tank is under the tank compartment, use a smaller (probably round) tank and move it up into the tank compartment.

If the tank is in the tank compartment, and the centerline of the tank is one inch below the needle, that tells me this thing has a big oversize engine, mounted upright. One solution might be to re-mount the engine inverted.

Good luck
Dave Olson

Thanks guys I'll pass this info to my buddy. Phil