Group,
Something to remember, more than half of experimental aviation accidents
are caused by fuel system problems. When factored into problems in the first 10
hours more like 85%! NOTE: This was NOT an engine failure, This was a fuel
system failure. I have been told that there is room in the Delta for tanks or
fuel cells. The modern racing fuel cell/tank is a great value buy from
Summit or one of the many suppliers. With the many blends of oxygenated
fuel on the market, if I was running auto gas I'd be darn sure it wouldn't eat
my tanks. A fuel cell would assure you that this wouldn't happen. These cells
are alcohol safe, many of the cars run alcohol straight so the cells resist
both. Glad you are OK Jim, be really sure of those tanks before
continuing,
Bill Jepson
In a message dated 12/27/2006 9:18:51 PM Pacific Standard Time,
finn.lassen@verizon.net writes:
You of
course know more about this than I, but isn't it common to find
debris in
gascolator/filters the first many hours flying a fiberglass
tank?
Finn
James Maher wrote:
> So the first thing that I
looked at on my Delta was the inside of the
> gascolator.
> Sure
enough there was lots of debris in the bottom and on the screen.
> It
looked sort of like little fragments of jello.
> After removing the fuel
filter it was found to be severely restricted.
> I believe that the new
auto fuel formulated with ethanol is causing my
> fiberglass fuel tank
to slowly disintegrate.
> When this fuel tank was first constructed in
2001 leftover pieces of
> fiberglass samples were submerged in fuel to
test its long-term
> effects. Those pieces are still in tact, but that
was the old fuel
> with MTBE.
> The fuel tank is being used to
test the new formulation and it appears
> that it is failing.
>
Next project … perhaps an aluminum fuel tank.
> Well back to the drawing
board.
> Jim Maher
> (Dyke Delta N11XD 13B 4.1
hrs)