Paul, Jim & Bud=0AI still think aluminum is the best advice for the breathe
r and it needs to be grounded, fuel droplets rushing up the tygon during fu
eling=0Acan act like a Van de Graaf static generator. I'm-pretty-sure t
hat was the cause of the fire my German friends had at Luebek .=0AThey were
refueling after a 2 hour flight, hot dry day. Standard breather system, va
pour coming out of the breather, a foot or so from the filler,=0A(this was
a Classic) metal Jerry can sitting in the car for hours.=0AHolding the meta
l funnel waiting for the last bit of fuel to drain in. Quiet "POP!" and fla
mes in the funnel. Burning fuel was split on the top-=0Aof the fuselage a
nd over the tailplane as Jens threw the burning funnel away. His arm got bu
rnt too.=0A-Graham=0A=0A=0A________________________________=0A From: Paul
McAllister <paul.the.aviator@gmail.com>=0ATo: "europa-list@matronics.com"
<europa-list@matronics.com> =0ASent: Sunday, 6 January 2013, 5:09=0ASubject
: Re: Europa-List: Power loss and Inspecting comments=0A =0A=0ABud,=0A=0ATh
ank you for your comments. -Well thought out and valuable as always.=0A
=0AI was one of the earlier pioneers of the system to route my filling vent
and into the top of the cobra inlet. For the fuel tank / system vent I did
something different again.=0A=0AI adopted the idea that Robin use and plac
ed my vent in the backside of the wing root. -At the time I thought this
was a great idea, but over time perhaps its only a good idea, maybe not eve
n that. -The upside is that it is unlikely to be plugged by mud, but ther
e are a number of downsides:=0A=0A- Once in a great while, if I over fill t
he tank, it will run out of this vent and out of the wing root over the fla
p. I inspect the flap regularly to make sure fuel has not got inside the co
re and-dissolved-the foam.=0A=0A- If I over fill the tank the fumes mak
e there way into the flap drive slot during flight.=0A=0A- I have to take t
he wing off to inspect the vent which doesn't happen regularly. -There is
a slight risk on my area that an insect called a "Mud Dauber" can get in t
here.=0A=0ASo, in conclusion, while these departures from the-original-
design seem like a good idea there are often hidden-consequences.=0A=0AOv
er the years I have become involved in inspecting and technical-counselli
ng-for the EAA, and the experience of this community has taught me that f
uel systems and modifications to them feature high on the list of accident
causes.=0A=0ACheers, Paul=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0AOn Sat, Jan 5, 2013 at
10:40 PM, Bud Yerly <budyerly@msn.com> wrote:=0A=0A =0A>Jim, and tibits for
the rest of us:=0A>After the tire failure and the subsequent off roading m
ud and =0Adirt-experience-while cross country, I commend you for your p
ursuit of =0Athe problem which cost you much time, and money.- You knew y
ou had a mud =0Aplugged vent, but an experienced guy like you missed the ki
nked vent line =0Acause.- So what's a normal guy to do?=0A>-=0A>I had t
o ponder that we (really me),-are always quick to assume an =0Aengine rel
ated problem-is causing-the power loss.- You told me =0Aabout finding
the kink but I still assumed that you had a carb problem.- =0AYou cleare
d the clogged vent, but who would have thought about the rest of the =0Aven
t system and a possible kinked line when the plane has been flying for =0Ay
ears.- I am anal about fuel system install and operation, but once =0Ains
talled, I rarely look beyond making sure there is not chaffing or =0Aleaks.
=0A>-=0A>Added for all of us:=0A>Recently I just finished an extended ann
ual and another fuel tank =0Areplacement-/ annual in a couple aircraft th
at I helped =0Acustomers-build back in 2002 and 2004.- Interesting to n
ote that on =0Aboth aircraft, that-they were past the 5 year hose replace
ment timeframe =0A(we all dread that).- In both aircraft I found that the
vent line was =0Akinked or compromised.- In one of the aircraft when the
upholsterer forced =0Athe fabric around the fuel cover-he had-forced t
he fuel-cover =0Aover-one of the polyurethane vent lines and over time
the cover pushed on =0Ait nearly flat so it barely vented properly, and on
the other, the vent line was =0Aperfect looking, but the hose was horribly
brittle because the vent tube was =0Amade from clear Tygon tubing.- Tygon
is supposed to be completely =0Aimpervious to fuel related problems.- Du
h, maybe not...=0A>-=0A>In-my old-Europa Operators Manual there was t
he requirement to =0Apull the fuel bosses off and flush the tank annually,
which is quite tough, but =0Anever to check our vent system, and in the new
ops manual, it only indicates to =0Acheck and inspect for leaks.- The 5
year recommendation for changing hoses =0Ais still there, but not the vent
lines.- Vent lines never get =0Achecked.- =0A>-=0A>As far as I know,
you are the first with an underside-vent that ever =0Agot plugged, howeve
r, you are the only mono I know of with the vent on the =0Abottom and opera
te off of grass a lot.- In the trigear the vent on the =0Abottom is alway
s-clean, but your point of the oil overflow on the right =0Aside of the c
owl exit and a centrally located vent will be a potential problem =0Afor oi
l, grime and dirt.- I'll have to admit I will make sure my annual =0Achec
klist is changed to check the vents.=0A>-=0A>I prefer not to vent out of
the top because with the motor glider in turns =0Awhen trying to soar, the
fuel sprays out of the vent in right turns.- It =0Aalso will vent fuel ou
t if overfilled on a hot day in Florida and let set in the =0Asun (especial
ly a mono), which of course can ruining the paint.- =0A>-=0A>Inspecting
an aircraft is not an exact science.- Manufacturers and =0Aregulating ag
encies give only vague guidance.- We are the manufacturer as =0Athe build
er, so we-set the guidelines-for inspections of our aircraft, =0Aand if
the kit manufacturer gives guidance, we the manufacturer of the aircraft
=0Ashould be more specific, not less to include info on our added systems,
changes, =0Amodifications, and additional wear areas or time change items
-due to all =0Athe above. -I'm in the US, and have my A&P use the FAA F
AR 43 Appendix =0AD as well as the engine 100 hour checklist and I insist o
n-him using the =0AKit Manufacturers guidelines such as the Appendix-E
of the build =0Amanual-and Section 8 of the Ops manual when inspecting an
experimental =0Aaircraft.--Now, I have been accused of doing a complet
e rebuild =0Ainstead of an annual inspection, but I am anal so that is my e
xcuse, but on an =0Aexperimental aircraft (especially one I didn't help-b
uild or =0Amaintain)-I have found that there are many non standard items,
routing =0Aconflicts between wiring, fuel lines,-brake lines and control
cables, as =0Awell as poor installation-of equipment and structural cons
truction mistakes =0Athat the builder and final FAA-inspector missed on t
he =0Ainitial-Airworthiness Inspection.- The FAA actually requires us,
as US =0AExperimental Aircraft Manufacturers, to have-established mainten
ance and =0Aoperations procedures.=0A>-=0A>I am attaching my personal ann
ual inspection-checklist out in the open =0Ato show what we the builder c
an do to improve the inspections on our =0Aaircraft.--I only just added
an item to inspect the fuel vents since =0Ayou called me about the problem
weeks ago.- I developed this checklist long =0Aago, before becoming a Eu
ropa owner and just tailored it to include items in the =0AEuropa Section 8
inspection, the FAA and LAA recommended guidelines etc.- I =0Aam prepari
ng to submit some of this info in a condensed fashion-in an =0Aupdated Te
ch Support section of Europa's Website as well as some other notes we =0Aal
l should know when maintaining the Europa.- Now this is my personal =0Ach
ecklist, not for general dissemination as a Europa Directive, but provided
for =0Aothers to see that an annual inspection is not a walk around.- But
then =0Aagain, it is not an IRAN (Inspect and Repair as Necessary) like th
e military =0Adoes by completely disassembling every panel, inside and out,
instruments, =0Awings, engine,-etc. and inspect, refurbish, service and
repair all the =0Aabove, it is however,-more than a quick check for wrink
les in the skin, =0Achange the oil and sign it off.=0A>-=0A>Great job of
troubleshooting and thanks for the report =0AJim.--Your-findings and
my recent observations have-changed =0Amy annual checklist for sure...=0A
=========================0A
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