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WAS Re: Europa-List: TUESDAY HAT DROP? Now fuel "finger" stariner RANT

Subject: WAS Re: Europa-List: TUESDAY HAT DROP? Now fuel "finger" stariner RANT
From: R.C.Harrison <ptag.dev@ukonline.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2004 05:58:35

Hi! Bryan.(and Tony Edge!)
Yes, the "harrison fella" does still fly except when he's looking for
"precautionary " landings !(this word precautionary is really an
understatement in that it really only applied to the time to decide which
airfield to land at from a point between RAF ALCONBURY (closed) and RAF
WYTON with an engine off or occasionally springing to life! Look at the map
and see how close they are ! If it has to happen I defy you to find a better
place? OR A MORE HOSPITABLE PLACE with a certain Squadron Leader Tony Edge
happening to be in the RAF WYTON FLYING CLUB HANGER (working on his 15 year
Plans built Jodel) deserving of mention since he contacted a taxi company to
get my passenger to his destination (the 60 I was delighted to pay the
driver) then gave me access to the hanger, made the tea and fixed overnight
parking , fixed security passes for Sunday collection of the plane on
trailer, and gave me a lift to the A14 for my erstwhile aged passenger and
his wife enroute home from Project Propeller Event to take me home the rest
of the way !

I'm currently in the middle of tank clean out (or as best of a bad job that
can be done in that respect with no access through which to "mop" out......
there must be a case for putting the access hole in the tank top between the
seat back tops as in the fitment of the "avalec" fuel gauge even if you
don't fit the gauge? )
I previously reported that I thought the rubber pipes had deteriorated but
that's NOT NOW THE CASE .
It probably transpires that what I thought was a meticulously clean method
of decanting all fuel put into the tank by hand from a clear plastic jug
wasn't contaminant free.
It seems IMHO that the water drain mod.with the tank "finger" strainers just
could be the making of my fuel starvation problem!
In my case a minimal amount of lint fibres and dog hairs! got to congregate
near the exit end of the strainer gauze which in
turn catches all minute debris until ultimately it strangles the supply to
the fuel tap, the remaining three inches of "finger" filter gauze appear to
be a "waste of space" .
Also, as I predicted some time ago , WHEN THE MAIN TANK SUPPLY CLOGS UP
DON'T EXPECT THE RESERVE TO BE LONG AFTER WHEN THE RECIRCULATION SYSTEM IS
CONNECTED TO THE RESERVE WATER DRAIN SIDE.  (since of course with the
reserve side being constantly filtered by recirculation and actually always
being filled first and over flowing to the main side it is more likely to
have more "crap" in it than the main tank supply!)
Don't argue about this statement I have the experience to know!
If you study the water drain mod. connectors you will probably find that
with the arrangement of the main exit hole being drilled offset (or to the
top of the parent connector) the shape of the exit hole isn't round and
that's before you insert the gauze and redux it into place. The gauze acts
as the main "crap" collector near to the hole round the annulus caused by
the water pick up pipe passing through the middle and "presto" you have a
blockage even with a minimal amount of contaminant in the first place.
There is no doubt in my mind that without the blessed "finger" strainers my
andair filter would have separated out all the crap (in this case) from BOTH
sides of the tank TOGETHER and still would been supplying adequate fuel to
sustain the engine on full power. Notwithstanding the andair filter was
checked and cleaned out countless times in the last 500 hours!
The purpose of the "finger" strainers  is to catch large contaminant such as
flakes of paint .....and leafs! and still leave it's central core clear to
supply fuel, this is fine but they also catch the small stuff in the annulus
close to the exit hole and dangle it as a plug near to the hole.  This now
is tempting me to say remove the gauze but retain the water drain pipe.
Literally you pay your money and take your chance( or put all your fuel
through a chamois leather as you fill up each time!)

Would  anyone who is building a trike establish exactly where any water will
sit in the tank bottom with the plane on level ground, please?

 To get my connectors out of the installed tank I have caused some
considerable bending of gauze and water pick up pipes resulting in needing
to shorten the pick up pipes to get them back in, so they no longer reach
the back lower corner of the tank.( which I'm hoping will still collect any
water from the tank bottom when in TRIKE mode as opposed to tail dragger
mode?)
I would appreciate a prompt response to this question so I can perhaps get
to the Rally for Friday .
Sorry about my Hat Droppers event attendance failures.
Just a small observation .... my mission on Saturday was to take a World War
II and Battle of Britain Spitfire Pilot currently 86 years young and having
had umpteen heart attacks with a pacemaker to the Project Propeller Charity
Flight Experience Event at North Weald.  So the guy survived the war many
heart attacks but nearly " bought it" with me in my plane. He says "it's an
experience he won't forget"! Hence my search for a more emphatic word than
"embarrassed"!

Finally I must publicly thank Tony Edge for his admirable assistance to a
fellow flyer in adversity who I hope will extend my apologies to his wife
and family for taking up more of his Saturday stand down time than she would
have thought was genuinely in the interests of his Jodel !
Tony .......if you get to read this "rant" (some of which will not be
entirely to your understanding) the Scottish Picture web page I mentioned is
:-  http://www.alanmoar.flyer.co.uk
regards
Bob Harrison G-PTAG (currently grounded)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "bryan allsop" <info@blackballclub.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Europa-List: TUESDAY HAT DROP?


<info@blackballclub.fsnet.co.uk>
>
> The choice for me is Fishburn near Teeside which has no food available,
And
> Stapleford near the M25 which has excellent bacon butty facilities. It
could
> be a bit far for you Richard, but ok for David and others.
> My Pilot mag has not turned up, but if there are better alternatives in
> there I will accept and pay the fee.Otherwise mid day at Stapleford should
> do it. I will confirm it later following any responses.
>
> Cheers Bryan
> PS. Does that Harrison feller still fly?
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "RICHARD IDDON" <riddon@btinternet.com>
> To: <europa-list@matronics.com>
> Subject: RE: Europa-List: TUESDAY HAT DROP?
>
>
<riddon@btinternet.com>
> >
> > Bryan,
> >
> > Could be.  I will have to see if I can rearrange a few things.  Where do
> > you fancy?
> >
> > Richard Iddon
> >




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