Harold: I have no idea what the FAA's reasoning is but when they issue an STC to permit the use of Autogas in an aircraft engine they stipulate that such fuel must NOT contain alcohol. I do know that older auto engines, ones built before alcohol blending began, were equiped with many ancillary parts and materials that would not tolerate alcohol in fuels. I have been told that the volitility of alcohol can pose some problems with vapor locking at altitude but I am unsure obout that problem. I also wonder about water settling out somewhere in the system and freezing in a fuel line although I am aware that alcohol can make water miscible in gasololine I would never use alcohol containing fuel in aircraft until this was resolved.
I noted last week-end in Mexico that Larry Flesner has his fuel tank fill points placarded "No Alcohol", perhaps he might weigh in on this subject. Atany rate the 10 cents to 20 cents a gallon is not worth the risk! Don Lively Burlington IA 52601 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Harold Woods wrote: > Hi Netters. > re Issue 186 on 25 Apr 06. > Lets face it, there is going to be a shortage of gasoline in the future. We > in the airplane group are a tiny drop in the pot. No one is going to make > special fuel for us. Go with the flow and that is ethanol. Adapt now. No > aluminum fuel lines. Ethanol attacks them. Redo your carb to ensure all > rubber parts are ethanol safe. Ensure that your gas tank will hold ethanol, > pure if necessary. Expect to burn a greater volume of fuel to do the same > thing. I am not going to start a war about how efficient gasoline is > compared to pure ethanol. Get the numbers straight from a knowledgeable > source.I do not have them. Size your gas tank to suit. Those of you in the > USA are fortunate, if you want to produce your own ethanol fuel then apply > for a licence for a few dollars. Go to the archives in "Mother Earth News" > and find the article on a modern high efficiency still that you can make. > The plans are very reasonable cost. If you can grow your own carbohydrate > vegetable. Process it into ethanol. The "still" will give you about 80% > ethanol and 20 % water. > That is an excellent mixture for a gas engine. The water will give you a > high octane rating, it reduces the burn rate thus more power ( the water > becomes steam and that pushes uniformly on the piston). There was a man (no > names given), living not too far away that grew sugar beets, which he made > into ethanol. He quoted the cost as 25 cents a gallon (Imperial ), no labour > or taxes involved. He ran his station wagon on this fuel. He had a sign in > the back window to the effect that this vehicle ran on alcohol. In Canada, > this is VERY illegal. After a few years the RCMPolice arrived and shut him > down. They said that they had been watching him, he was not abusing the > alcohol by selling or drinking it so nothing was done until some idiot in > bureaucratic Ottawa decided that he should not do this. This man solved the > problem by running for parliament in his area. He won. Government has a > problem. A member of parliament is charged with making alcohol. Solve the > problem, give him a permit to do so. (normally this would cost upwards of > $35,000.00 for a permit.) . The moral of this story is "adapt" Stop > bitching, do something constructive so that you can safely burn anywhere > from 10% to 100% ethanol, or any other fuel that shows up (natural gas, > propane, butane etc.) If you want to fly you must adapt. I am sending this > on a Friday, If it is too late send it next week on a Friday. > Regards > Harold Woods > Orillia, ON. Canada. > haroldwo...@rogers.com > > _______________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp > to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
