Hi Paul and all
I would appreciate some wisdom from you guys in relation to:
1. Gascolators - Are they fuel water separators? Is it advisable to
have
one
in the system for Western Australian conditions?
My apologies if this is a dumb question.
2. Firewall barriers.
The Glasair Super II RG came with a 0.5 inch Fiberfax sheet and
aluminum
cover sheet. Is this current technology. I understand Fiberfax comes
with
some health warnings when working with the stuff?
Cheers
Steve Izett
Galsair Super II RG Renesis 4 port
Perth, Western Australia
1. Yes they are fuel water separators. Required on cert airplanes by
the
FAA here in the US I think. I know it does not rain out there very
much
but you never know you might fly someplace where it does. Darwin
maybe.
2. Wear a face mask. I would use thin gage SS instead of aluminum for
a firewall. The melting temp is twice as high. Take no chances with
airborne fire. Worse thing that can happen to you by far.
Paul Lamar
Steve,
I don't know what your building or planning to install but a gascilator
does
remove water from fuel. If your planning a Mazda engine I don't think
that
many people run gascilotars if their running mogas. Mogas in most cases
has
10% ethanol and any alcohol will readily mix with water and pass through
the
system without worry.
Have a look at what the local chaps are running with their rotaries and
you
won't go far wrong. Most water concerns come from contaminated fuel or
condensation of partially filled tanks sitting overnight.
There are a number of fiber insulator materials available locally. I
found
one locally by looking in the yellow pages. This stuff is used in
council
buses to isolate heat, it's a coarse woven material - great stuff but
expensive.
George (down under) Brisbane.
Hi,
The Vision plans also calls for a Fibrefrax and SS firewall. I've never
seen Fibrefrax. Is it just a heat barrier or can it withstand a direct
flame?
Pierre in South Africa
I think it can withstand a direct flame but SS can withstand a direct flame
for sure. A cowl fire is like a forge as there is a blast of oxygen coming
in due to the forward motion of the airplane. Needless to say the fire
can be extremely hot. The SS is the primary fire shield and the fiberfrax
insulates the red hot SS from the low melting point composites.
http://www.fiberfrax.com/
"Fiberfrax alumino-silicate refractory ceramic fibers are recommended for
continuous use at temperatures up to 1430°C (2600°F). All Fiberfrax products are
characterized by, low thermal conductivity, low heat storage, excellent thermal
shock resistance, light weight, and superior corrosion resistance. The excellent
thermal stability, and the low-density form of Fiberfrax products, make them
ideal for a wide range of high temperature insulation applications. Fiberfrax
insulation is widely applied in power generation, industrial chemical
processing, petroleum refining, and various other industries including
aerospace, appliance, automotive, ferrous & non-ferrous metals, ceramic, glass,
and fire protection."
"Fiberfrax Blankets"
"Fiberfrax Durablanket high temperature insulation blankets are produced with
advanced spinning technology. All Fiberfrax Durablanket products are made from
long-staple, inorganic spun fibers, needled to produce exceptional strength."
Fire protection in a composite airplane is extremely important as a fire
could melt or burn the 350 F to 400 F composite connection to the engine.
If the engine falls off the airplane will spin in for sure due to the extreme
aft CG.
Paul Lamar
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