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Fuel tanks

 
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msm(at)byterocky.net
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 6:10 pm    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


Hi Guys, for your interest I have stripped the wings and noticed both fuel tanks have very small crazing in the glass which has been obviously leaking very slowly over the life of the plane. The defects appear to be from the tank mould when the glass was laid up. It is extremely thin in the areas that it has crazed and full depth penetrations appear to have occurred in at least 2 places. Fuel staining around both areas are obviously from long term leaking. The amount lost would appear to be very small and certainly not noticeable externally when undertaking a pre-flight inspection although a faint fuel smell has always been noticeable but down to the breather venting. Just thought I'd bring it to your attention!!.
Cheers
Graeme Toft


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ddsyverson(at)comcast.net
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 6:41 am    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


Graeme,
Can you provide some additional information - I am curious if this is the
nature of fiberglass, or, if this was entirely due to the particular tanks
when they were manufactured (which it sounds like it might be).
1) Any idea how old the tanks are?
2) What kind of fuel was run in the tanks over their lifetime (100LL, Auto
Gas, Corn gas - meaning real gas mixed with ethanol, etc)?
3) Were the tanks coated with a sloshing compound, epoxy paint or anything
else on the inside?
4) What part of the tanks were the thin areas located?
I just picked up a set of tanks (Not from Skystar) for the construction of my
model 7 and they appear to be very well done - the fiberglass is thick and
uniform and very rigid (triple baffled). The seams are very solid - not much
evidence of bubbles in the resin anywhere.
Any additional info on your observations would be useful and appreciated.
Thanks,
Dave S
St Paul, MN
On Saturday 31 December 2005 8:06 pm, Graeme Toft wrote:
Hi Guys, for your interest I have stripped the wings and noticed both fuel
tanks have very small crazing in the glass which has been obviously leaking
very slowly over the life of the plane. T
Graeme Toft


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aldaniels(at)fmtc.com
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 8:19 am    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


I am sure, but John can help with this, if I remember correctly there
was a change in resin and maybe manufacture of the Kitfox fuel tanks in
about 1995 or so. The early tanks needed sloshed to keep fuel in and to
keep from breaking down, the later takes were of a fuel resistant resin
and better built.
D& D Syverson wrote:
Graeme,
Can you provide some additional information - I am curious if this is the
nature of fiberglass, or, if this was entirely due to the particular tanks
when they were manufactured (which it sounds like it might be).
1) Any idea how old the tanks are?


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rliebmann(at)comcast.net
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 10:48 am    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


I am wondering when and if my 13 gal fiberglass tank will give way after
reading so much over time about the glass being susceptible to breakdown
from various fuels. My tank came to me in 1990 from Denney Aircraft with no
sloshing at all. The installation instructions said nothing about sloshing
them. You could then and now see the glass weave in the tank. I have had no
leaks at all. I guess I'll just keep watching for them.
Ron N55KF
Quote:
I am sure, but John can help with this, if I remember correctly there
was a change in resin and maybe manufacture of the Kitfox fuel tanks in
about 1995 or so. The early tanks needed sloshed to keep fuel in and to
keep from breaking down, the later takes were of a fuel resistant resin
and better built.
D& D Syverson wrote:
>
>Graeme,
>
>Can you provide some additional information - I am curious if this is the
>nature of fiberglass, or, if this was entirely due to the particular tanks
>when they were manufactured (which it sounds like it might be).
>
>1) Any idea how old the tanks are?
>
>

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lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 11:43 am    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


Ron, I think that is a good plan. Mine started leaking at abut 500 hours
and was apparent by the blisters in the paint on the tops of the wings. Of
course there was the slight fuel smell, that was always attributed to the
various fuel line connections.
Lowell


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msm(at)byterocky.net
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 12:31 pm    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


Dave, the Kit was purchased in 1998 and fuel used has always been Avgas. No
sloshing compound is obvious and I would say from there weight none has
been applied in this case. It is only the bottom of the tanks that appear to
be affected. The colour of the tanks are a bluish green. A friend in the
fibre glass boating industry has inspected the tanks and is convinced the
defects resulted from poor mould lay up of the glass. I would say one with
defects such as this would be bad luck but to have 2 of them may be a
concern for a few of us.
Cheers
Graeme Toft


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jdmcbean(at)cableone.net
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 12:36 pm    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


June 1995 is when the change was introduced. Prior to that the tanks should
be sloshed..
Have a Safe New Year !!
John & Debra McBean
www.sportplanellc.com
"The Sky is not the Limit... It's a Playground"


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jdmcbean(at)cableone.net
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 12:36 pm    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


Ron,
Keep an eye on them.. some reported not having any issues...
Have a Safe New Year !!
John McBean
www.sportplanellc.com
"The Sky is not the Limit... It's a Playground"


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N93HJ(at)numail.org
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 5:10 pm    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


John,
Both of my tanks had a green and white sticker that said:
QA Approved
By: BC
6-1-95
Would you know which one I have?
Thanks, Brett


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jdmcbean(at)cableone.net
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 5:38 pm    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


Brett,
No way to know... the change actually took place prior to June... but there
was no way to pin point the actual date prior to June...
Have a Safe New Year !!
John & Debra McBean
www.sportplanellc.com
"The Sky is not the Limit... It's a Playground"


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N93HJ(at)numail.org
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 6:07 pm    Post subject: Fuel tanks Reply with quote


That's what I figured.
Thanks anyway.
I coated them just to be safe.


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