Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Original Posted By: lshutks(at)webtv.net (Leon Stefan)
27, 2005) at 08/29/2005 09:23:58 AMMade my first off-field landing this Saturday evening, due to my ownmistake I created a vapor lock between main and header tank.Flew for 25 minutes until my header tank was empty and she went into Glider"mode"Luckily I was at 2000 ft and over lot of flat farm land.Had to land a mile short of the home strip in a freshly harvested cornfield, it was rough.But no damage, other than my own pride, sure like that split landing gearwith the fat tires ;)I am making some small changes to the fuel lines trying to eliminate ofthis ever happening again.Hans________________________________________________________________________________ ETAuAhUAw6q/92Fi5fWGqeZW1qnmp6Kg+rICFQCAS0yXCJ3ZmvEJZR1kStbqnEbkxw==

Original Posted By: Jeff Boatright
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: First off-FieldHans: What caused the vapor lock? I have been thinking about fuelproblems lately. My fuel line runs along the outside of the fus. justabove the stringer. In 3 point or climb it runs uphill. In levelattitude it runs flat horizontally. I'm thinking I need to change it soeverything runs down hill from the tank to the gascolator so any airbubbles flow up hill to the tank. Glad to heare your landing went well.Leon S. In kansas corn country, also with split gear and fat tires.________________________________________________________________________________ Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 11:02:11 -0400

Original Posted By: "Phillips, Jack"

Original Posted By: hans.vander.voort(at)alfalaval.com
27, 2005) at 08/29/2005 11:43:56 AMLeon,Yes, all fuel lines must run downhill, I ignored that in a 1 inch section(and Murphy's law ruled)My fuel line runs from the left rear end of the center section (rear spar)through a shut off valve to the front left cabane.Where it goes down in to a 2 Gallon Header tank.I tried to keep the fuel line as high up as possible for passenger accessthis causes a 1 inch curve back up right after the finger strainer and Tfor the fuel drain valve.This normally ought not be a problem as long as the line is full it willsyphon out continuously and there is no heat source to create gas bubbles.But during taxi and run up I left the shut of valve closed, (I did open itbefore take off as part of my check list).The period during taxi and run up caused air in to enter the Header tank,Header tank has its own vent line.And his vent line gets Ram air during flight and the main tank has anormal vented cap ( no ram air)During flight it thus possible that the air pressure in header tank ishigher than in the main tank creating the air blockage or reverse flow.The following I is what I am changing now, The 1 inch curve section isremoved by using a short street Tee at the tank.And the line will slope down about an inch (1 : 24 slope)My Air Camper seems to fly a little Tail high so in flight this increasesto about 1 : 12 slope, the only time I do not have this slope is duringclimb out and landing flare, that is why I have a header tank.A check valve will be place in the header tank vent line, air is allowedout but not in.A ram air intake on the main tank to create a slight pressure.And a change in my check list, the main tank shut off valve is to remainopen at all times and only to be closed during emergency and maintenanceThe reason I am certain that this caused the engine shut down is that whenI came to standstill after landing, I could hear the fuel run in to theheader tank again as there was no more Ram air pressure on the header tankventline.Although my next flight will be with some nervousness, I do have greatconfidence in the Pietenpol, It does not have a great glide ratio but withengine out and full stall landing flare you can put it down on postagestamp.Hans________________________________________________________________________________Subject: RE: Pietenpol-List: First off-Field

Original Posted By: Tuu2Tango(at)aol.com
27, 2005) at 08/29/2005 11:53:05 AMJack,I run autogas in my Corvair engine.At the low altitudes that I intend to fly I do not believe the vaporpressure difference between Avgas and autogas have a effect.A local flies a Beech18 on the field on autogas and he flies a lot higherthan I do, it is used sometimes as jump plane climbing to 14000 ft.Also the vapor lock occurred due to my own fault (operator error) and wasnot created by a heat source.My Gascolator and fuel lines on the firewall are all insulated and slopingdown to the carburetor.Hans________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: hans.vander.voort(at)alfalaval.com
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: First off-FieldIn a message dated 8/29/2005 9:57:26 AM Central Standard Time, hans.vander.voort(at)alfalaval.com writes:At the low altitudes that I intend to fly I do not believe the vaporpressure difference between Avgas and autogas have a effect.Autogas, regardless of altitude, is more prone to icing the carb than 100LL. Crop dusters (in the old days) had a difficult time keeping ice out when flying at low altitudes, especially in humid conditions and when flying over irrigated fields.I'd double check your carb heat box and make certain it is working well.________________________________________________________________________________Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: First off-Field

Original Posted By: Mark
27, 2005) at 08/29/2005 01:01:07 PMThanks,I agree auto gas could be prone to icing quicker.However, I made a 45 minute flight that morning without any problems (Totalflying time is now 5 hours).Did get some trouble with carb heat cable sticking and re-lubricated andchecked proper operation before the last flight.None the less everything gets checked after every flight hour, I take thecowling off and check for chaffing, anything coming loose or any cracksdeveloping,or anything else out of the ordinary.Hans Tuu2Tango(at)aol.com Sent by: owner-pietenpol-l To ist-server@matron pietenpol-list(at)matronics.com ics.com cc Subject 08/29/2005 11:27 Re: Pietenpol-List: First off-Field AM Please respond to pietenpol-list@ma tronics.com In a message dated 8/29/2005 9:57:26 AM Central Standard Time,hans.vander.voort(at)alfalaval.com writes:At the low altitudes that I intend to fly I do not believe the vaporpressure difference between Avgas and autogas have a effect.Autogas, regardless of altitude, is more prone to icing the carb than100LL. Crop dusters (in the old days) had a difficult time keeping ice outwhen flying at low altitudes, especially in humid conditions and whenflying over irrigated fields.I'd double check your carb heat box and make certain it is working well.________________________________________________________________________________Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 13:10:53 -0400

Original Posted By: Gary Gower

Original Posted By: Gary Gower
27, 2005) at 08/29/2005 03:19:37 PMGary,My ram air "L" of the header tank is placed above main tank level.Tubing is run all the way to top of wing this to avoid overflowing of theheadertank.I would like to avoid a manual operation of filling the tank.Come to think of it, the vented gas cap (on top of center section) couldbe in a low pressure areaagrivating the problemI believe a check valve in the header vent line and a Ram "L" on themaintank will do the trick.ThanksHans________________________________________________________________________________Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 15:12:54 -0700 (PDT)

Original Posted By:> hans.vander.voort(at)alfalaval.com
>You have to try landing in corn when it's not harvested.You talk about gettinbeaten up.This was done with an ultralight not enclosed.

Original Posted By: "Textor, Jack"

Original Posted By: Michael D Cuy
> To: > Subject: Pietenpol-List: First off-Field> > > > Made my first off-field landing this Saturday evening, due to my own> mistake I created a vapor lock between main and header tank.> Flew for 25 minutes until my header tank was empty and she went into Glider> "mode"> Luckily I was at 2000 ft and over lot of flat farm land.> Had to land a mile short of the home strip in a freshly harvested corn> field, it was rough.> > But no damage, other than my own pride, sure like that split landing gear> with the fat tires > > I am making some small changes to the fuel lines trying to eliminate of> this ever happening again.> > Hans> > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________________Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 08:34:42 -0400