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New Fuel Tank Design?

J

joertexas

Member
I thought I'd read somewhere that Van's is considering a more robust fuel tank design. Although most incidents energetic enough to breach the fuel tank are probably not survivable, the idea of being bathed in avgas isn't appealing, especially considering the rollover after a forced landing scenario.

Is there an updated design in the works?

JR
Hopeful future RV-12 builder/owner
 
joertexas said:
Is there an updated design in the works?
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No! What is currently available is the same tank that has been slightly modified over a period of time as more experience or feed back has been received from the line through accidents that have occurred.;)
 
joertexas said:
. . . "Although most incidents energetic enough to breach the fuel tank are probably not survivable, the idea of being bathed in avgas isn't appealing, especially considering the rollover after a forced landing scenario." . . .
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That was a major consideration when I made my final choice on an LSA.
I did not end up with the RV-12.
 
Ever fly a cub or champ? The fuel tank is almost in your lap! The P-51 even had a tank right behind the pilot (I think ) !
 
i don't think the issue was so much about where the tank is mounted as much as the strength of the tank to survive abuse.
 
KALEWIS said:
Ever fly a cub or champ? The fuel tank is almost in your lap! The P-51 even had a tank right behind the pilot (I think ) !
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There was an 85 gallon tank behind the pilot in a P-51, most have been removed to make room for a second seat.
 
bobnoffs said:
i don't think the issue was so much about where the tank is mounted as much as the strength of the tank to survive abuse.
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When I did a demo with Mitch Lock in the RV12 I asked him about the fuel tank (position, rupturing on impact etc)?his response was that Vans tested it to over 30gs without it breaking.

Just adding this to the mix.
 
Top Cat said:
When I did a demo with Mitch Lock in the RV12 I asked him about the fuel tank (position, rupturing on impact etc)?his response was that Vans tested it to over 30gs without it breaking.

Just adding this to the mix.
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And then at least two did break, resulting in two service bulletins. The jury is still out as to the efficacy of the 2nd fix, as far as I know.
 
Well, I support Driftdowns right to be here, and to freely express his views.
No harm in what he said/wrote - for me, everyone has a right to a view on this and plenty of opinion either way.
I personally have had reservations, but in reality a lot of aircraft have tank in cabin, and i also trust Vans rengineering, despite my initial reservations. This doesn't make me right or wrong!
 
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RFSchaller said:
Driftdown,

If you bought brand X why are you lurking on the VAF site? :D

Rich
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Good question.
I have followed this site for years, especially while I was in the market for an LSA.

Besides this forum, I also follow 3 other similar sites, which target light sport aircraft and pilots, besides the Rotax and Dynon forums.

I have learned a great deal from all of them. I would like to think that I also have made contributions to them, with occasional posts regarding pertinent topics.

One thing that is common to 5 of the forums is . . . they have information on the Rotax 912 ULS engine and the experience owners have had with them.

Hope that satisfies anyone's curiosity on my participation. :)
 
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Top Cat said:
When I did a demo with Mitch Lock in the RV12 I asked him about the fuel tank (position, rupturing on impact etc)?his response was that Vans tested it to over 30gs without it breaking.

.
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OK, I'll bite. Exactly how would one test a tank to 30 g's in a crash configuration?

Tony
 
Tony Spicer said:
OK, I'll bite. Exactly how would one test a tank to 30 g's in a crash configuration?

Tony
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1. Build a center section/fuselage/whole plane (as desired) with the tank installed.
2. Fill the tank to its normal capacity.
3. Lift the fuselage assembly with a crane or on a tower to a height sufficient to cause a 30g impact (I'm math-impaired, so the exact distance would have to be calculated by someone else).
4. Drop onto a solid surface.
5. Record results.
6. Repeat as desired for different crash scenarios - can even use a trapeze arrangement to impart forward motion.

JR
 
Top Cat said:
When I did a demo with Mitch Lock in the RV12 I asked him about the fuel tank (position, rupturing on impact etc)?his response was that Vans tested it to over 30gs without it breaking.

Just adding this to the mix.
Click to expand...


Let me correct my statement?the factory tests the fuel tank to 13gs not 30gs as I stated.

That being said, Mitch patiently answered every question I had about the fuel tank, it's position and strength etc along with a host of other questions and doubts. The end result was that I'm buying an RV12 SLSA. :)
 
Tony Spicer said:
OK, I'll bite. Exactly how would one test a tank to 30 g's in a crash configuration?

Tony
Click to expand...

Some of the tests are static (think of a fuel tank slowly filled with lead shot instead of fuel, with it mounted in the fuselage structure or something that accurately simulates it), and some of the tests are dynamic (think of tank filled with water and droped from a specific hight with it mounted in the fuselage structure or something that accurately simulates it, to induce hydro/dynamic loading, ).
As already mentioned, the testing was not to 30 G's ( I can't remember the specific values for all test modes so I will revert to Mitch's memory of 13 G's).

Because of 2 accidents, additional testing was done on a test fuselage, to destruction (as in, statically pulling the gear legs off of the fuselage in the same manner they had failed in accidents), to verify some additional failure modes that weren't tested for initially.
 
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