From: CHRISTOPHER_ZAVATSON@udlp.com
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 10:07:34 -0500
Message-ID: <00135005.C21254@udlp.com>
Subject: fuel tank imbalance
To: Lancair.list@olsusa.com
Mime-Version: 1.0

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     Regarding flying with one wing full and the other empty.
     (I have no header tank in my 360)
     I have, on occasion, caught myself using the aileron trim to 
     compensate for fuel burn until the trim reached full deflection.  This 
     gives me about a ten gallon imbalance.  Unfortunately, I was too close 
     to my destination to level the load.  As you slow down, the trim 
     becomes less effective and I was having to hold more and more pressure 
     on the stick to stay level.  By the time I got to touch down speed, 
     the deflection was quite significant.  My big concern in those 
     conditions is tip stall.  As you approach for landing you want to 
     unload the tips.  Washout and lowering flaps help accomplish this.  If 
     your aileron has a large downward deflection because of a heavy wing 
     you have loaded up one tip and it will be the first tip to stall.  The 
     risk is that it will be the first part of the entire wing to stall.
     My fuel runs out to the tips (22.5 gal per side) and there is no way 
     the ailerons could handle a 100% unbalanced fuel load at any speed low 
     enough for landing.
     
     Chris Zavatson
     N91CZ