Pietenpol-List: Richard's sloping nose tank sump
Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:10 am
Original Posted By: "Richard Schreiber"
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Richard's sloping nose tank sumpRichard,You described to a tee how I designed the shape of my nose tank. (photo attached and more sketches canbe found at: http://www.westcoastpiet.com/design_sketches.htmI followed Bingelis's fuel tank design advice and used his minimum fuel flow (at the carb fuel supply hose)chart for my engine. I placed the airplane on an earthen barn ramp to simulate climb angle and the chartBingelis has shows the amount of fuel (gravity flow) needed at full takeoff power for your horsepower.I used a graduated plastic Tupperware-like translucent Kool Aid type pitcher/container and my second handon my watch to time the volume of fuel flowing at various quantities of fuel remaining in the tank until themagic number fell below the "useable fuel" flow volume per unit time.My fuel flow experiment showed that of my 17 gallons in the nose tank that the unusable amount was 1.5gallons remaining so essentially about 15 gallons were usable. Keep in mind that at the 1.5 gallons offuel remaining and my weight being 200 pounds creates a CG condition that is pretty tail heavy(not beyond limits but requiring a decent amount of forward stick to maintain level flight)Mike C.[cid:image003.jpg(at)01CA7970.39236740]________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Richard's sloping nose tank sumpRichard,You described to a tee how I designed the shape of my nose tank. (photo attached and more sketches canbe found at: http://www.westcoastpiet.com/design_sketches.htmI followed Bingelis's fuel tank design advice and used his minimum fuel flow (at the carb fuel supply hose)chart for my engine. I placed the airplane on an earthen barn ramp to simulate climb angle and the chartBingelis has shows the amount of fuel (gravity flow) needed at full takeoff power for your horsepower.I used a graduated plastic Tupperware-like translucent Kool Aid type pitcher/container and my second handon my watch to time the volume of fuel flowing at various quantities of fuel remaining in the tank until themagic number fell below the "useable fuel" flow volume per unit time.My fuel flow experiment showed that of my 17 gallons in the nose tank that the unusable amount was 1.5gallons remaining so essentially about 15 gallons were usable. Keep in mind that at the 1.5 gallons offuel remaining and my weight being 200 pounds creates a CG condition that is pretty tail heavy(not beyond limits but requiring a decent amount of forward stick to maintain level flight)Mike C.[cid:image003.jpg(at)01CA7970.39236740]________________________________________________________________________________