jbloom

Do you have a metal fuel can on your flight box? How do you tell how much fuel you have? Open the lid and have a peek? Tap the can? Use a dip stick? Well, I'll offer a solution that lets you see the fuel as easy as if you had one of those plastic jugs. It only takes about 15 minutes to do. Here's what you'll need;

Your Fuel can (You're gonna want to empty it and let it air out real good as open flame will be used)
Drill with 1/8th drill bit
Two 90 degree elbows of 1/8th brass tubing
solder
solder flux
soldering iron or torch
8-9 inches clear silicone fuel tubing
damp paper towel

jbloom

Drill two 1/8" holes near the metal lip on the top and bottom of th can. Doesn't really matter where, the choice is yours. Just make them one above the other.

Then, press the 1/8" brass elbows into the holes and align so they point to each other.

Apply a small drop of flux at the base of the elbow you're about to solder. Heat with a torch or iron until the flux runs, then apply the solder. Make sure it runs as well to give a good seal. I place the damp paper towel on the can right next to the elbows as I heat them to prevent the paint from bubbling up too much on the can.

Once it's cool, attach the silicone tubing between the elbows and you're done!

jbloom

Now you can just take a look and see how much fuel is in your can!

The Ghost

Fuel Gauge simple. Heavy can Full, Light can Empty. Done this 15 years ago. As everyone is saying about the snaging. It happens very easy and you also have the tube that can get cut.

Cheers.

GrnBrt

My Feedback: (5)

Nice idea but what happens if you catch that tubing and off it comes???? Man fuel all over the place![X(]

Jimmbbo

Good idea... need to snag proof the sight gage or could get messy...

Cheers!

Jim

RC-Captain

Not if it's in a field box.

jbloom

Hmmm... true... hadn't thought about the snag proofing! Perhaps some silicone sealant prior to slipping the tubing over the brass. It would take a pretty good tug then. Anyway, it's just an idea. Ya either like it or not..

Kaos Rulz

I like your idea and would consider soldering on barbs to the copper tubing and securing with small clamps.

BadSplice

My Feedback: (1)

I saw the same design on the back of a water tanker truck, simple and effective. I was actually toying with the idea of putting a gauge like this on a plane.... all of mine id have to remove the wing to look...

rdresch

My Feedback: (1)

Deleted

rdresch

My Feedback: (1)

I would be afraid of open flame near a container that once held fuel. Had a freind seriously burned cutting the top off a drum that was empty and had been washed out. The vapors that may linger are extremely explosive. That being said you could probably fill the container with a inert gas,Argon or CO2. At any rate be carefull.

Jim Thomerson

Don't drill the holes in the can. Make them with an appropriate size nail. That will give you a much better supported solder joint. I use a plastic jug not in the field box so I have no problem. I have a somewhat silly mental picture of taking along a scale and weighing your field box to see how much fuel you have used. This would mean that you would have to put your burned out glow plugs back in your field box, of course.

Jim

Villa

I used to use a metal can also. Then I wondered about a spark from the 12 volt battery settings things off. I changed things so I could mount a 1 gallon fuel container. I get a new container with every refill so nothing wears out or cracks. Much safer. No rusting inside the can.

Villa

I meant to state a 1 gallon plastic round fuel container (the one our fuel comes in).

Kaos Rulz

Villa,

I understood what you were saying the first time. (Scarry - I Know)