Wing Tank Bulk Purchase Update

[lstinthot]

I would recommend not using a pencil to mark aluminum. Dissimilar metals leads to corrosion.

That’s for the write up.

[WaiexN143NM]

hi all,
yes no bare pencil on aluminum. i should add that when using the pencil was on top of the white epoxy paint on outside, and on top of the primer paint on the inside. not on the bare aluminum. easy to remove and remark.


WaiexN143NM
Michael

[WaiexN143NM]

Hi all, part 2 ,
This details the inside install. i used a facet pump with check valve and positive fuel shut off.
single pump. I used the jegs rubber steel braided fuel line -6 fittings. I mounted the single pump floorboard rt side, just off center and tucked under the flap tube and back near the spar. the switch is mounted on an alum ‘L’ bracket velcroed on top up pump. neg wire to mounting screw, pos wire up the verticle fuel line, which goes to top back fuel port on tank. ‘T’ fitting on back of pump, each line outboard thru the root ribs. the fuel tank ports line up with the flap drive horn , especially when flaps are full up. luckily there is room outboard of the flap drives to install a ‘Z’ AN extender fittings to get ahead of the drive horns i used jegs -6 fuel fittings w rubber steel braided line.
i used the blue fuel cubes i got from sonex to prevent sloshing. each big cube was cut into 8 smaller cubes. it took 40 small cubes each side to fill up the tube.
tomm will be part #’s i used.
tomm will be part#3 kit observations. buckle up its about to get bumpy.

WaiexN143NM
Michael

[WaiexN143NM]

hi all, part 3 kit observations, this will be an ongoing edit, adding, as its been hard to post, keep getting
logged off.
the kits were shipped in patched together cardboard boxes wrapped in bubble wrap. one member had his tank flange bent . he was able to straighten it out. he also received a tank that the flange cut out was wrong. the factory patched it up and re cut the flange. location. this purcher thought the factory should have called him , got his approval for a patched tank and maybe. a discount.
another purchaser got 2 tank kits shipped to him. the tank kits went out in 3 batches of 4 each. in the last batch he got 2 kits. he spent half of one afternoon taking it to the ups store, trying to coordinate with azalea aviation, and get the kit reshipped to the correct owner. was a fiasco. this same good samaritian tank purchaser had his fuel line missing and a few An hardware pieces. he s still waiting 3 mo later for his missing items, after being promised many times they would ship it out.

a) the fuel pumps are cheap chinese knockoffs, not facet pumps. $14.99 off ebay or amazon. NOT going in my plane. blow in on one of these pumps. it has a cheap bellows valve. i guess that their ‘check valve’.
look at acs facet pumps. the page will list the specs. get a quality pump(s). the cheap pump weighs
about half of what a facet does. i would be careful of using one of the pumps and getting a reverse flow situation, and you would have the main tank draining into the wing tanks and out the vents. One of the cheap pumps that had been sent to me, was not wrapped in plastic, as the other pump was. scratched up on decal, and smelled of fuel. used. what kind of fuel was run in it, and for how long, unknown. more nonsense.
b) the band clamps they supply wont work. take them down to your local hardware store, get some with more adjustment travel.
c) the plans are outdated. they show 3 welded tabs per tank. nothing about band clamps and angle pieces.
d) the plans and pics show the outboard end AN vent fitting as being straight. this wont work reference the fiberglass wing tip and clearance. get a AN -4 flared/ 1/8 pipe npt angle fitting. use the 1/4 in alum tube to make the vents.
e) the safe air drains. get youself some male/f emale. 1/8 npt 1/2 in extenders. watch when you screw into tank, they will hit the finger strainers.
f) chafe tape . my plans said chafe tape included. was not . i contacted jeff. he inquired w factory. they pushed back. i got chafe tape from spruce. $45.50 a roll. need 2 rolls. thick teflon tape. perfect thickness for the flange hole diameter. wrap around 4 in tank tube. do not overlap. the kits were not consistant ref. chafe tape. some got gorilla tape. some got plastic flange edging. some plastic sheeting. some nothing.
g) use fiberwashers on finger screens. w permatex 2.
h) we paid $1300 for the tanks. plus $200 shipping. im glad i got the tanks. i feel azalea could have done better. the tanks were delivered. 3 mo late. cheap fuel pumps. outdated plans. not correct AN hardware. no chafe tape.

WaiexN143NM
Michael

[OneTallShort]

For those of you installing these tanks, I'm curious about your plans for testing the modifications. In particular, spin testing.
I bring this up because the American Aircraft AA-1A (the first designed 2 place version of the Tiger/Cheetah) is similar to the Sonex in size and configuration. My understanding is that it had spin issues with the fuel moving outboard in the wings, further increasing the rate of rotation. The story I've heard was that during spin testing, they had to deploy a spin drag recovery chute for spin recovery something like ten out of ten times. The entire line of airplanes is listed as "spins prohibited" due to this behavior.

My only concern here is with the safety of our fleet. I don't want to see a problem develop due to this modification or someone get killed, so I would urge caution on testing these tank installs. The worst conditions may not be full wing tanks, but may be 1/2 tank or less, if the 1/2 tank of gas moves outboard during the spin, and alters the normally docile spin dynamics of the Sonex.
My point is that caution and testing is warranted with the change.

Safe Flying!

Gregg Short P.E.
Sonex-715(A) Turbo AeroVee still in (slow) construction
Dinging around with Turbo plumbing and wiring, but just about completed. Glareshield, Canopy, Cowl, rigging, and testing yet to complete.

[WaiexN143NM]

Greg,
I do not plan on spin testing. also i dont do aerobatics, just not my thing. the tanks on my plane will only have fuel in them if going on a cross country. they will either be full, or will pump the fuel into the main tank all at once, both tanks, until empty, during cruise. i did put the sonex blue fuel cubes into the tanks. to prevent sloshing, etc.

i think if we are worried about the safety of the fleet, crashes, deaths, etc, more should be focused on engine choices, install, and maintence.

WaiexN143NM
Michael

[vigilant104]

I bring this up because the American Aircraft AA-1A (the first designed 2 place version of the Tiger/Cheetah) is similar to the Sonex in size and configuration. My understanding is that it had spin issues with the fuel moving outboard in the wings, further increasing the rate of rotation.

FWIW, if the fuel moved outboard, it would slow the rotational speed rather than speed it up (spinning ice skater--arms out vs arms in). But, with more weight outboard the rotational >inertia< might increase, which could hamper spin recovery.

[DCASonex]

As someone who once owned a Grumman Cheetah, always wondered just what the reason was for prohibiting spins. Thanks for that info. Mine had the large long range tanks that would have made the problem worse. Might be very good idea to put a notice on panel of Sonex equipped with wing tanks, --- Spins prohibited when fuel in wing tanks. ---- until known that will not be a problem. (Would rather not be the one to test that.)

David A.

[builderflyer]

Greg,
the tanks on my plane will only have fuel in them if going on a cross country. they will either be full, or will pump the fuel into the main tank all at once, both tanks, until empty, during cruise.

WaiexN143NM
Michael

I believe that Michael has described the proper operational procedure for utilizing the wing tanks. In addition, this information should be entered into the owner generated POH for this specific aircraft for future owner's/pilot's awareness.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261

[WaiexN143NM]

Hi all,
Thanks greg,mark, david, art,
For information and awareness of this subject. All good ideas.

WaiexN143NM
Michael