Sid. I was reading your web page fuel tank section, and was wondering what you used and how you sealed you fuel tank inspection ports, and your unions you used for the vents.
Phil Matheson. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Phil, My fuel tanks are constructed with vinyl ester resin and fiberglass, same as the Diehl skins. There are no inspection ports in the tanks, except for possibly the fuel filler cap. The cap is the flush fitting set from Rand Robinson. The threaded ring is floxed in the top skin with vinyl ester flox. The fuel outlet, quick drain and vent fittings are aluminum welding flanges that are floxed into the walls. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/alumflange.php I drilled a series of holes around the flat areas of the fittings to allow better grip for the flox. Pipe threads in the flanges connect the rest of the piping. The vents are nylon tubing with mechanical swaged fittings. The fuel supply line is all aluminum with AN flared fittings. The entire tank and plumbing system including the vent pipes have been tested air tight. All piping is supported to minimize movement from vibration. Each inspection panel in the bottom wing skin to look at the outer wall of the fuel tank is made from the piece that was cut out. The attaching rim has no particular gasket or seal. I figure the panel is on the bottom of the wing so rain and wash water would have little possibility to get in that otherwise empty bay. Sid Wood Tri-gear KR-2 N6242 Mechanicsville, MD, USA smw...@md.metrocast.net
