replacement wing tanks!

[amienoel 2]

I have been trying to get a hold of Brett at airdale

Edited 2 Jan 2014 by amienoel

[akflyer 1427]

I would bet that you could put KF tanks in there and KF will get back to you.  Do you have a speed wing or the stol wing?

 

[C5Engineer 1170]

Amie did you see this thread? http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/index.php?/topic/1899-gas-tank/?hl=tanks#entry13350

[High Country 69]

Amie, here http://performanceproducts1.com/ is Rod's website see what he can do for you. good luck

 

-Robert-

[EDMO 1078]

Its the STOL wing under cut heavy hauler wing.

The 1-3 Kitfox tanks should work for you - They now make them moonshine proof.

Guessing they still make them in either 6 or 12 gallon.

EDMO

Edited 23 Aug 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[DirtRiderDave 5]

Check out www.realflying.com. I just ordered 4 tanks from Stace and he was very prompt in replying. It cost me $750 for 4 with shipping.

[EDMO 1078]

Check out www.realflying.com. I just ordered 4 tanks from Stace and he was very prompt in replying. It cost me $750 for 4 with shipping.

That's a lot less than what Kitfox wants!

EDMO

[Av8r3400 1178]

Kitfox doesn't/won't sell the in-tank style replacements.

They only sell the complete new tank kit, which includes everything you need to install, from caps to hoses. Personally I'm not a fan of the in-tank fix. Too many joints that can leak, plus the loss of capacity. Just my opinion.

[dholly 718]

But until KF goes full poly I ain't biting...  I would like to see just how hard it would be to fit Just Highlander poly wing tanks into an Avid HH profile wing, been told it would not take much. Also, at one time I looked at trying the Rans S9 poly wing tanks into my Avid speed wings (pics below). At first blush it looked doable, and I really liked that you could retain the drag tube omitted with the Avid and KF oem tanks.

[EDMO 1078]

Doug, How much and where can you get the Just Highlander tanks?

EDMO

[dholly 718]

I called Just Aircraft and spoke to Troy. I can't recall exact price tho, it was 2-3 years ago and I think my senior moments are starting to kick in.

[EDMO 1078]

I called Just Aircraft and spoke to Troy. I can't recall exact price tho, it was 2-3 years ago and I think my senior moments are starting to kick in.

Doug,

I just looked at Just Highlander web site, and the prices are tooo much for me - They list the "Option" of changing from two 9 gallon wing tanks to two 13 gallon tanks at $1000,,,Tanks must be gold-plated or something! I could have aluminum tanks made cheaper than any FG or Plastic I have seen advertised.

EDMO

[Av8r3400 1178]

...and they will crack and leak in your wings, just like Avid and Kitfox both found out in the early days.

 

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

[EDMO 1078]

...and they will crack and leak in your wings, just like Avid and Kitfox both found out in the early days.

 

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Yes - guess I should have Piper make them - Or the welder that the FAA goes to here to build and fix their tanks both on planes and those terrible vibrating ugly noisy things! And buy some Caswell?

EDMO

[Av8r3400 1178]

Ed, Piper wings don't flex and move like the Avid/Kitfox wings are designed to do. That is why metal tanks crack in this application.

Avid and Kitfox both tried metal tanks and failed. If they worked, don't you think that more people would be using them in the 30+ year history of the design?

[EDMO 1078]

Ed, Piper wings don't flex and move like the Avid/Kitfox wings are designed to do. That is why metal tanks crack in this application.

Avid and Kitfox both tried metal tanks and failed. If they worked, don't you think that more people would be using them in the 30+ year history of the design?

I figured it was just poor design - Denny or Skystar should have gone with the plastic before selling thousands with fg tanks - Kitfox invested in plastic header tanks - why not wing tanks too?

EDMO

Edited 2 Sep 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[Av8r3400 1178]

Large roto-molded polyethylene tanks are EXPENSIVE to tool and produce.  They do not have the needed structural stability for the wing bay that they occupy, serving as drag-antidrag support for the wing root.

 

FIberglass is strong, light, functional and CHEAP to produce.  Until the government mandated food be used as fuel, they were just fine.  This ethanol contaminated fuel began destroying the resins used in the earlier tanks, causing the problem.

 

The new resins used by Kitfox and Airdale (the same tank manufacturer, BTW) are "resistant" to ethanol contamination erosion.  The Lawyers prevent them from being "proof" to ethanol.

[EDMO 1078]

Yes, and I have 5 of the old 12 gallon FG tanks for 2 planes!

I can either find real-mogas, or $6 100LL and use TCP to get the lead out.

I wonder if you need to sand or blast the inside of the old tanks to coat them with the vinylester epoxy to make them "moonshine resistant"?

EDMO

Edited 2 Sep 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[Av8r3400 1178]

My tanks are the "old" resin.  They were "kreem" coated from the factory.  I am absolutely neurotic about not allowing ethanol contamination into the tanks because I know it could kill me.  Period.  Yes, that serious.  I scope the tanks several times a year to check the Kreem condition.  The first time I see anything come loose, the wings get opened up and the tanks replaced.  Period.  End of story.

 

I will be putting new Kitfox tanks in the Mangy project because I don't trust internal coatings.  Any flaw in the coating will allow the ethanol behind and bang it's done.  A purpose designed tank coating (like Kreem) is meant to flow while liquid.  I don't see how you will get full coverage inside the tank trying to coat it with epoxy.

 

If you're going to run 100LL only, no worries.  If you are planning on any mo-gas, I personally wouldn't even consider installing old tanks in a new build.

 

IMO, building a plane is not the place to cut corners to save a few bucks.  Especially in the relm of safety.

[EDMO 1078]

I have heard bad things about Kreem - Lots better things about Caswell - and one builder on here said he opened up his tanks and brushed on a coat of vinylester epoxy. If I have a leak, I will fix it before flying with it - if that takes new tanks, we'll mortgage the farm, or do something else.

EDMO

[c_stauffer 1]

 Hello all, 

 

 

 I'm a newbie here and have an avid that is leaking. Big surprise huh? I have been reading all of the posts about fixing VS replacing and I have a few questions & was hoping some of you could offer your opinions. The plane has a heavy hauler wing with 13 ga tanks (2 tanks in each wing). They are metal so from what I gather, I'd be wasting my time fixing them as they will just leak again... So, replacement is the way to go... My questions are regarding the removal & replacement procedures. How much of the wing will have to come apart? Will I need to uncover the entire wing? Basically, what I'm asking is, has anyone gone through this swap  before and what were some of, or all of the issues encountered during the process. I do have access to ethanol free gasoline & that is all I have used in my other Rotax engines with no issues. I do premix. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

   Respectfully,      

 

 

 

       Cory

[Russ. 7]

Cory go to the wingtanks.com home page and see my install pictures.  Only recovered the tank section of the wing.  Russ

[SkyPirate 8]

the only way a welded tank will work in a kitfox avid wing is to make it a full floater and have an over sized tube put thru on the right angle for a cross brace to be installed thru it,..fore and aft connect points of the tank would have to be rubber mounted in a fashion to allow .25" flex up and down so by doing this a compression tube would also be needed to replace the existing tanks function as a compression tube,..one of the possible down falls,..when the wing is in fold position..you  might get  allot more  flex ie twist which would absolutely require transport braces if trailered 

the other option  if you have the tools required to do it is make a tank that has rolled seams with tank sealer in the rolls / folds,..it wouldn't be hard to do ,..using 3003 aluminum it has good working properties with enough rigidity to hold any manipulated forms.// in the attached pic is how it would look ready to fold the seams..

Edited 30 Nov 2013 by SkyPirate

[1wise1 1]

The tanks from Wingtanks dot com look a lot easier than most of the others. But, weight and balance will dictate using 4 tanks, 2 in each wing.

And that of course means, usable weight is going to take a hit.  

 

Mine will be a retro-fit in a 31 year old plane that just started leaking bad enough to ground it. 

[marksires 484]

The other plane I'm building is a Cozy MkIV, all fiberglass, including the tanks.  The general consensus of those who are building and those that have built is that EZPoxy 87 is the most fuel resistant epoxy for those planes.  I'm replacing the fabric on my Avid over the winter, and if the tank looks sketchy I'll be building a new one using that.  http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/ezpoxy.php?clickkey=5889

 

Mark