What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Fuel Truck Ground

MED

Well Known Member
It occurred to me that the fuel truck will not be able to hook its ground wire to the exhaust pipe on my RV-14A (when it is finally finished). Where do they hook the ground wire on an RV? :confused:
 
Tiedown hooks work to ground the ship, if you leave them installed. I do.

It is not recommended to leave the tiedown rings installed. The reason is they are steel parts screwed into an aluminum bracket that hold the aileron bell crank. You really don't want dissimilar corrosion there.

Why can't you clip on the exhaust stack like the other A model RV's?
 
It occurred to me that the fuel truck will not be able to hook its ground wire to the exhaust pipe on my RV-14A (when it is finally finished). Where do they hook the ground wire on an RV? :confused:

It does mean crawling under a bit farther but connecting the the exhaust the on the prototypes has worked just fine since day one.
 
It is not recommended to leave the tiedown rings installed.

On an "{A" model it wouldn't be recommended to remove it.... it is the only thing preventing the rudder bottom from getting ground off in a less than ideal landing.

There are products that can be applied that will prevent a problem if concerned.
 
Thanks for the responses. I guess I will plan on using the exhaust, installing the ground wire myself. I don't want to send a line guy under the plane. Of course, I will probably insist on fueling myself, too. ;)
 
Thanks for the responses. I guess I will plan on using the exhaust, installing the ground wire myself. I don't want to send a line guy under the plane. Of course, I will probably insist on fueling myself, too. ;)

Never let anyone fill your plane. Some line guys don?t have the patience to fill slow enough. I made this mistake only once - got shorted seven gallons.

Carl
 
On an "{A" model it wouldn't be recommended to remove it.... it is the only thing preventing the rudder bottom from getting ground off in a less than ideal landing.

There are products that can be applied that will prevent a problem if concerned.

Does anyone make an aluminum tiedown ring/skid for an A model?
 
Years ago, in the interest of lighter weight, I ordered up a pair of solid Titanium rings from some Google search and made them fit. If I recall, I had to trim off the threaded end a bit and smooth the bottom of the ring where it touches paint. I now leave them on all the time, hook up the ground clip there and nothing has rotted off my airplane yet. Occasionally I remove them in search of more knots and see no sign of corrosion on the threads. Considering lightweight and performance goals, this purchase had poor return-on-investment.
 
If your tiedown rings are semi permanent (e.g. removed at annual and seldom otherwise), Permatex and LPS, or even beeswax, lightly coating the threads will eliminate dissimilar metal corrosion.
 
Years ago, in the interest of lighter weight, I ordered up a pair of solid Titanium rings from some Google search and made them fit. If I recall, I had to trim off the threaded end a bit and smooth the bottom of the ring where it touches paint. I now leave them on all the time, hook up the ground clip there and nothing has rotted off my airplane yet. Occasionally I remove them in search of more knots and see no sign of corrosion on the threads. Considering lightweight and performance goals, this purchase had poor return-on-investment.

Isn't titanium even further from aluminum on the galvanic scale? Shouldn't the corrosion be *worse*, all other things being equal?

That said, could be a nice, dry environment and lack of electrolytic (moisture) might make the question essentially moot. Dunno, just asking.
 
It occurred to me that the fuel truck will not be able to hook its ground wire to the exhaust pipe on my RV-14A (when it is finally finished). Where do they hook the ground wire on an RV? :confused:

Uh, the exhaust pipe? Works fine on my 7A, not sure why it wouldn't work on a 14 unless you have some mod that is hiding the pipes somehow?

And BTW, I *never* let anyone else fuel my airplane (or tow it, or push it around, if I can avoid it...not always possible). The only scratch to the paint, and the only very very minor damage (to the nosegear leg fairing) were done by...you guessed it...line guys.
 
No exhaust stack grounding for me

Ok so let?s use our exhaust pipes to ground the aircraft. When the knuckle dragging lineman pulls the clamp down the stack and scores your stack, it is going to crack there.

Why don?t we use an airframe point to ground the plane? Add a bolt anywhere you want as the whole airframe is a common. You can add a grounding plug like the jets use or a simple bolt to clip the ground to if you refuse to tie your plane down.

The exhaust pipe is NOT designed to be a ground and a scratch on it is an invitation to a thermal crack. I use my tiedown rings but if you never tie down then add a jam nut to a bolt in the same hole and let your exhaust pipe live to do what it is designed for.

Dismount soap box...
 
Ok so let?s use our exhaust pipes to ground the aircraft. When the knuckle dragging lineman pulls the clamp down the stack and scores your stack, it is going to crack there.

Why don?t we use an airframe point to ground the plane? Add a bolt anywhere you want as the whole airframe is a common. You can add a grounding plug like the jets use or a simple bolt to clip the ground to if you refuse to tie your plane down.

The exhaust pipe is NOT designed to be a ground and a scratch on it is an invitation to a thermal crack. I use my tiedown rings but if you never tie down then add a jam nut to a bolt in the same hole and let your exhaust pipe live to do what it is designed for.

Dismount soap box...

Have you heard of this ever happening?
This has been done by RV owners for for decades ( including the company demonstrators which get lots of hrs on them) and I have never heard of a single crack on the end of an exhaust pipe.
 
Ok so let?s use our exhaust pipes to ground the aircraft. When the knuckle dragging lineman pulls the clamp down the stack and scores your stack, it is going to crack there.

Why don?t we use an airframe point to ground the plane? Add a bolt anywhere you want as the whole airframe is a common. You can add a grounding plug like the jets use or a simple bolt to clip the ground to if you refuse to tie your plane down.

The exhaust pipe is NOT designed to be a ground and a scratch on it is an invitation to a thermal crack. I use my tiedown rings but if you never tie down then add a jam nut to a bolt in the same hole and let your exhaust pipe live to do what it is designed for.

Dismount soap box...


I ALWAYS ground on the exhaust pipe. My RV has been flying over 21-years. Ran 1st exhaust pipes for 2,200 hours and replaced it when I did an engine overhaul.

Would like to see some proof of this damage. Without seeing it, I do NOT believe your post.
 
Wrong metal

Ok I stand corrected, just spoke with our maintenance director and he says that is an inconnel issue and not inherent to stainless, mea culpa.
 
Back
Top