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Need extended range tank pireps.

D

dwilson

Well Known Member
Greetings fellow RV-10r's


I am building an RV-10 and strongly considering Hotel Wiskey extended range tanks.
I have a couple of questions for those of you who are flying with them.

1) How do you determine how much fuel is in your extended range tanks?

2) What if I mistakenly activate the fuel pump from the extended tank while my stock tank is still full? Does it push fuel out the vent tube?

3) If I install your tanks does this negate the use of the Archer wingtip VOR antenna?

Does anyone have any info on just making the stock tank occupy more of the leading edge?

Thanks
 
dwilson said:
Greetings fellow RV-10r's

I am building an RV-10 and strongly considering Hotel Wiskey extended range tanks.
I have a couple of questions for those of you who are flying with them.

1) How do you determine how much fuel is in your extended range tanks?

Fill them up and transfer all the fuel to mains after the mains are down sufficiently.

2) What if I mistakenly activate the fuel pump from the extended tank while my stock tank is still full? Does it push fuel out the vent tube?

YES!

3) If I install your tanks does this negate the use of the Archer wingtip VOR antenna?

Probably.

Does anyone have any info on just making the stock tank occupy more of the leading edge?

Thanks
Click to expand...

See above.
 
dwilson said:
2) What if I mistakenly activate the fuel pump from the extended tank while my stock tank is still full? Does it push fuel out the vent tube?
Click to expand...

If you vent the main through the auxillary, the overflow will just return to the auxillary.


dwilson said:
Does anyone have any info on just making the stock tank occupy more of the leading edge?
Click to expand...

Unless every flight will require the extra range, you might want to consider building separate leading edge auxillary tanks. That way, there's none of the guesswork associated with partially filling one large tank.

Pat Tuckey addresses both of these issues here. You can also do a search on Tuckey +tanks here on the forums.
 
Thanks so far.

Thanks for the info so far!

Would love to hear from someone doing the leading edge mod for the RV10 specifically.
 
ER TANKS

I had Hotel Wiskey install tanks in my 6A. I use them when I travel but don't fill them flying locally. When I find "cheap"gas I fill them. Flew home from the Black Hills to Chicago and tapped one tank non stop. I like them a lot and are real nice when that trip is marginal without a stop. The guys at
Hotel Wiskey are great to work with.

Lee
6A with mods.
 
I have the Hotel Whiskey tanks in my RV-10 and am very satisfied with them. I use them on long trips and when I get a chance to buy fuel at a good price. The installation was straight forward. The instructions were fairly good and the quality of the kit was excellent.
I tested the transfer rate several times and know how long to run the pumps to transfer the fuel into the mains. I use the timer in my EFIS to remind me when to turn off the pumps.
I imagine you would pump fuel out the vent if you transferred fuel into a full tank, but have not tested that.
I think venting the main tank through the aux tank would be difficult with this setup. :confused: Since the tanks are separate from each other and do not gravity flow either way, I prefer to have each tank with it's own vent.
 
Ditto

Like the others above, I'm really happy with the installation in my -7. I use them on longer trips or when I'm near cheap(er) gas and even then only if it's a quick/day trip and I don't have bags/pax - it's not approved to do aeros with gas in those tanks and as I seem to have a rigging problem (I can't fly straight and level for very long ;) ) keeping gas in those tanks prob'ly isn't a good thing....

As far as knowing level/quantity in the tanks, they are either full or empty. I only fill them up (ie not part measures) and when I reckon I've made room in a main tank I set the timer on my EFIS and start pumping from the relevant ER tank. Takes about 15mins.
 
I LOVE my HW tanks.

Like others, I don't keep them full all the time because of acro. But for cross country and cheap fuel, they're great.
Did I say "cheap fuel"? Well relatively speaking. I topped them off today at $3.38/gal.
I too use my Dynon timer to transfer. I fly 5 gals out of each main and then run the pumps for 18 minutes.
The pumps can run "dry" for 30 minutes.
And I've got to add that Jeff & Chuck are two of the greatest guys you'll ever meet.
 
I manufactured ALUMINIUM tanks for the tips, some folk glass up the tips, but we decided not to. Cost me a heap less than the HW tanks.

We use a pump with a small pressure switch and a timer relay, turn the pump on, when it senses pressure (very low pressure) the timer relay powers off, once the presuure switch reads zero pressure and zero flow, the timer starts for 15 seconds, provided there is no scavenging left to be done the timer stays powered up and times out opening the N/C contact and turns the pump off.

Then some time later I can turn the switch off in the cabin knowing we got it all pumped over, plus visual confirmation on the fuel gauges.

Leading edge................ Well if you have a quick build you will have to fit an aux tank. If you have slow build wings you can build the outer section exactly as the tank section, and boy do you get some serious extra fuel then! ;)

It has been done on a -7 and is being done on a -10 here in Oz and a CAR35 engineer did some calcs and they did a sacrificial test and all was good! :)

I do not remember the extra volume but some thing like 80-90 Litres per side may have been it. :eek:

DB:cool:
 
RV10inOz,

You have a link to the pump and pressure switch you used? I'm building a bearhawk with extended tanks that works pretty much the same way and having the pressure switch would be nice.

schu
 
I THOUGHT I SAW FULL-SIZE

leading-edge tanks outside the standard tanks, on two RV-10s at Sun n Fun this year ----- was I mistaking or have (at least) a couple of builders gone that route?
 
RV10s at SNF with extra fuel

I saw a white and blue one at SNF that I think has two stock Van's tanks per side for a total of 60 gal per side. I don't know if that is a good idea or not. I think that one has been for sale for a while.

Maxwell
 
n981ms said:
I saw a white and blue one at SNF that I think has two stock Van's tanks per side for a total of 60 gal per side. I don't know if that is a good idea or not. I think that one has been for sale for a while.

Maxwell
Click to expand...

Hi Maxwell, it's an interesting observation you make. Some buyers might look at auxiliary leading edge tanks and say: "Extra fuel...great". But there might be a larger percentage that might look at it in a completely different light and say: "Whoooa, major intuitive mods to the wing structure (with ringing of alarm bells).

If I was an Experimental buyer I would probably fall into the second category. My cautious side would tend to be concerned about the nous of the person engineering the mods, the quality of the execution, and any excessive stresses previously inflicted on the wing spar caused by a combination of the additional mass and poor pilotage (heavy landings etc).
 
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IF I WERE GOING TO ADD "AUX" TANKS

I would just use a 4-port fuel selector to select each tank, rather than the pump, wiring and switching. The Cherokee six and Cherokee 235 that I owned did it just that way ----- much simpler installation and very straightforward. And, I certainly think the -10 needs another 30 gallons to take advantage of its great performance.
 
Those tip tanks from HW, are they 15gal per side, or 15 total (7.5gal per side)?

Also, what kind of weight is added using the tip tanks (not including the fuel)?
 
Some observations...

Rockets regularly go a few extra "bays" out on the wing with their tanks. One local Rocket has fuel along about 2/3 of the leading edge on either side. Maybe you could buy a one-piece leading-edge skin and make your own using the stock ribs?

Of course, the other consideration is the size of your bladder... 6 hours of fuel and 4 hours of bladder don't generally mix well. :)
 
Anypressure switch with say a 0-5PSI range. I do not remember exactly, but you want to detect a Nil Flow state.

The pumps are just the Facets you get from Aircraft Spruce.


As for 6 hours fuel and 4 hour bladders, well if you plan IFR and require alternates, and even more so in Australia where a good alternate may well be an hour or more away.....it starts to make a lot of sense. Also when you stop somewhere without fuel you can get out again. not as much a problem in the USA.

DB:cool:
 
upright aluminum tank behind rear seats

Everyone,
I am thinking about making a upright aluminum tank that would bolt in behind the rear seats the tank would hold about 15 gallons (90 lbs.) of fuel. I would replace my fuel selector with a left/main/right selector and plumb a fuel line to the rear tank and have a shut off valve located at a rigid mount near the tank.
The tank would also have a fuel gauge so that it could be monitored like the standard tanks.Being upright the tank will follow the forward angle of the rear seat backs and leave some of the baggage area available for some storage, however the tank and fuel will be close to the baggage weight limit set by Van's but could still be handy for things like tow bar etc.
The tank will be bolted in but also able to be removed when needed. A vent line would be needed to be added to the bottom of the plane and piped up to the tank. Still thinking on the filler neck and cap location. What am I missing? Your input is requested!

Don Orrick
N410JA
 
How complex is it to retro-fit the HW tanks into an existing wing? Is it possible and what would be involved?

Phil
 
midwest rv-10 said:
Everyone,
I am thinking about making a upright aluminum tank that would bolt in behind the rear seats the tank would hold about 15 gallons (90 lbs.) of fuel. I would replace my fuel selector with a left/main/right selector and plumb a fuel line to the rear tank and have a shut off valve located at a rigid mount near the tank.
The tank would also have a fuel gauge so that it could be monitored like the standard tanks.Being upright the tank will follow the forward angle of the rear seat backs and leave some of the baggage area available for some storage, however the tank and fuel will be close to the baggage weight limit set by Van's but could still be handy for things like tow bar etc.
The tank will be bolted in but also able to be removed when needed. A vent line would be needed to be added to the bottom of the plane and piped up to the tank. Still thinking on the filler neck and cap location. What am I missing? Your input is requested!

Don Orrick
N410JA
Click to expand...

The thought of having the constant fuel smell in the cabin is a big turn off. When every you connect/disconnect the tank, it will drip some fuel onto the interior.

I would much rather keep fuel out of the cabin and out in the wings. Keeps the fuel out of the cabin, making for a safer emergencies. The one way I don't want to die is by burning alive.

Any other thoughts on adding a couple bays to the existing tank? maybe seal up two bays of the non tank leading edge closest to the existing tank and plumb it to the standard tank so it will feed with gravity? I think this option will also add the least amount of weight. Thoughts??
 
Phil said:
How complex is it to retro-fit the HW tanks into an existing wing? Is it possible and what would be involved?

Phil
Click to expand...

It can be done. Your main tanks will have to come off to install the plumbing, the facet pump, etc. You will want to put an access panel under the wing to access the pump area. Very easy with a QB wing that does not have the bottom skin on yet.
 
HW aux tanks

Mel just put HW tanks on his flying RV-6. I don’t think it is that difficult.

I am building an RV-9 and I have the first set of HW tanks on a 9. They look great and I can’t wait to try them out. And try out the rest of the RV-9 for that matter.

And I will agree, Jeff and Chuck are great to work with.
 
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