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Fuel Guage Scale 6 Gallon Wing Tank

13 posts in this topic

Posted

By chance do any of you have a PDF (or a link) to a PDF from which I can make a scale for my Kitfox Model III wing tank sight glass?

 

I remeber seeing a European site with one, but for some reason cannot locate it anymore.

 

Looking too make a fuel indicating plate to place behind the tube.

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Posted

I had the 12 gallon scale on the same list of sites that the Kitfox SBs were on - Still cant find it.

EdMO

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Posted

I would make my own.  Just stick a paper behind it and mark it as your filling the first time.  I would have 2 scales as well.  3 point and flying attitude.  setting the tailwheel on the tail gate of your truck or trailer should get you close enough to the flying attitude to mark the scale.  Once your rough scale has been marked you can make a pretty one on the computer and print it out.

 

:BC:

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Posted (edited)

Larry,

You could use the one for the 12 gallon tank and just change the numbers to 1/2 the original IF your dihedral is set on the factory setting.

The one that Leni suggested you make might be more accurate and gives both indications.

Make sure your bird is leveled both ways and supported by a sawhorse or blocks on the side you are adding gas to - otherwise, the tire on that side will collapse a little more each time you put another gallon of gas in the tank and your readings will get less accurate, depending on how much air is in your tires.

Probably not a big deal - It's the last gallon remaining that counts most!

EdMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

Thanks Guys.  I do have the 12 gallon one, though not sure if that was for the undercamber wing or not.

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Posted (edited)

LarryS,

My memory don't last that long - it may have been for the model 4 wing tanks - may not matter much,

but I would double-check it on that first gallon.

- Hope you put the restrictor in the lower sight gage fitting, so level will be steadier.

EdMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

I did what Leni said. For the 3 point I only marked 5 and 10 gallons so I can get a good idea of fuel on board during the preflight. The other scale I did each gallon. I just used a sharpie.

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Posted

Anyone know where to download and print the scale?

EdMO

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Posted (edited)

My wife made a set for 12 gallon tanks with photo shop.  They are calibrated for my hand built airplane so may not be accurate for any others.

 

Here's the plain placards for the 12 gallon kitfox model 4 wing tank.  You can modify these in photo shop to your wing calibration etc.  also you can add "Capacity" and "Unusable Fuel" labels to meet that requirement for placards.

 

I just printed on plane paper, stuck them to aluminum sheet with double sided sticky paper and covered with clear shelf paper.  They have faded some.  You could put the files on a thumb drive and take it to a sign shop and they can print them on vinyl decal sheet.

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Edited by tcj

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Posted (edited)

Thanks again tcj,

Kitfox is just too proud of them for me to order any.

Besides that, Kitfox changed the wing incidence on different models, so I'm not too sure how accurate this would be on each plane. I like the idea of making your own.

EdMo

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

No scale is going to be 100% accurate, but it will darn sure get you close enough to know when its time to land, or if you have enough to think about taking off for a few circuits around the pattern.  If you want really good knowledge of how much fuel is on board get a flow meter with totalizer on it.  I love mine and hate to fly without it.  I know exactly how much fuel I have on board and if I was not so lazy I could hook it up to the GPS and it would give me miles and time to bingo as well as how much I will burn between here and there..

 

:BC:

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Posted (edited)

The original builder of my Avid used 90° barbed fittings at the top and bottom (pretty much vertical) of the aluminum 6 gal left wing tank for a sight tube(I used a sharpie for 3,4,5 gallon marks and an unpainted window on the fiberglass right wing. Unfortunately, Anything below 3 gallons or above 5 in the left tank and anything below 5 gallons in the right tank is unreadable due to the root ribs blocking view. I will eventually install an analog float gauge in the right wing which will let me read pretty much to empty. I might be able to do the same with the left tank but it will require a bit of surgery on the wing/tank to get it in there.

 

I have a 2.5 gallon header tank which has a capacitance fuel sender/ panel mounted gauge that just recently crapped out on me. I am trying to decide on how I want to replace that. If I go with a capacitance sender again I will have to replace the gauge to match the current sender output of 1-5 volts vs the older units 33-240 ohm resistance. My other option is to buy a 20" reed switch sending unit and keep the current gauge which was new just a couple years ago. If anyone knows of another option that is relative inexpensive that would be great. The system from Belite would be several hundred dollars, otherwise it would be a real possibility.

 

Currently, my SOP is to burn fuel from the right tank until empty (I have a clear glass fuel filter housing minus the filter for each tank so I can visually check for fuel flow) then switch to the left tank which I sort of use as a reserve on top of the header tank which by itself would give me a 1/2 hour reserve. The header tank gauge is the final countdown - if for some reason I have a fuel flow problem to it or for some strange reason actually run both wing tanks dry (that has never happened). I do run on the fuel in the left tank periodically to keep the fuel fresh. All fuel is drained from the fiberglass tank at the end of the day. I don't want to take any unnecessary chances with delamination.

 

I do have a fuel flow gauge to be installed some day but I never fill the right tank so it would be a little tough to use for the totalizer function.

 

Dan

Edited by dav8or

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Posted (edited)

I don't like any kind of electricity in my gas tanks. A mechanical float sender is safer.

EdMO

Spruce and Kitfox both sell senders for low fuel alarm for header tanks for about $130 - $160? I don't know if they will fit yours, and I don't know if they are the same part, or different from each other.

EdMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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