Mike, Do you have any details about those RV cockpit fires?
Thousands of Cessna's and other GA airplanes have fuel selector valves
in the cockpit with rarely a cockpit fire caused by the fuel system. I
read the
NTSB reports on a regular basis and I have never read about such
an event. I can't help but think there was something seriously wrong
with those RV fuel systems.
Paul Lamar
Paul,
I didnt mean to imply that those incidents I mentioned were simply
inflight cockpit/fuel fires. In fact both incidents were engine failures in
flight which resulted in fire in the cockpit before the pilot could get the
airplane on the ground. All Im saying is that I would rather not be pumping
fuel thru the cockpit at 40+ psi if I can avoid it. As far as I know both
of the aircraft mentioned above had Vans standard recommended fuel system.
Ive read many accounts of aircraft crashes where the occupants survived the
crash and died in the ensuing fire because they were unable to get out. If
the risk can be minimized by getting fuel out of the cockpit that seems to
be a worthwhile goal.
I wonder about the reliability of those selectors also. Thats why any
such system would have to have provision for crossfeed of fuel from one
tank to the other in case of a stuck valve.
Mike Wills
Well I just got done working on a simplified schematic. Here it is.
No need for a duplex valve. It will work with your scheme Mike with
the pumps in the tanks and only two tanks of course. The four
tanks are for Rich's setup.
The fire thing needs to be addressed
with a fire extinguisher system in the engine compartment.
Also people need to pay a lot of attention to the plumbing details
with the most reliable components they can find and that means
AN hose and fitting where ever possible. Teflon wire and fire sleeve too.
No rigid oil lines and no cantilevered fittings sticking out of
the engine block, oil cooler or rads.
Paul Lamar
The Aircraft Rotary Engine Newsletter. Powered by Linux.
http://home.earthlink.net/~rotaryeng/ http://www.linux.org
