drifters

[shafs64]

Hi i have seen a few drifters with plastic drums straped to the back seat are they extra fuel or for balist or both.

 

 

[skyfox1]

Hi i have seen a few drifters with plastic drums straped to the back seat are they extra fuel or for balist or both.

Hi if it is on the back seat it would be spare fuel if it is behind the seat that is what they used on the early drifters for fuel tanks.

 

 

[shafs64]

this one had a tank under the fuse.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Standard Drifter set up is the belly tank (approx 42 Lts), and the tank behind the rear seat (approx 35 lts). The top rear-seat tank fed down into the belly tank, and fuel is drawn from the belly tank up to the engine.

 

It is common, especially if flying Xcountry solo, to carry another 20 Lts in a fuel container strapped into the rear seat. That then gave around 90 Lts capacity all up, but you need to land to put in the 20 lts strapped into the rear seat. That is probabily what you have seen, most Drifter pilots carry a fuel container strapped on the rear seat if going anywhere. The rear seat is not used for gear as there are plenty of other areas to stow it , like the fwd pod itself, behind the front seat, and up inside the wings as all aileron control are outside of the wing. There is no need for any ballast on the rear seat if it is empty, as the Drifter flys pretty flat. There is a minimum weight required in the fwd seat, and you need weight (toolbag) in the pod, if you were below minimum pilot weight.

 

I have done many 4 hour + legs in the Drifter with it's fuel capacity..

 

Both fitted standard tanks are marked for fuel capacity, but the bottom one was the one to watch via a mirror mounted on the LH wheel spat. Once on the bottom tank, you had about 2 hours remaining..................................................................Maj...

 

 

[shafs64]

That maj for going into that detail for me. the picture of the drifter i viewed must have been on a long trip as it had what looked like two 20lt plastic jerry cans.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes I have seen some carry two on the rear seat at times, still within weight range of the Drifter.............................Maj...

 

 

[Tex]

Yeh you can fit 2 plastic 20l in the back seat, actually the ones I have hold 24l easy. So I can carry about 120l... 72 in the tanks (top and belly) plus 48l on the back seat.

 

 

[shafs64]

you can never have to much fuel unless you are on fire.

 

 

[farri]

I`ve just tried Google, to find the current regulation on carrying fuel and couldn`t but from memory,I recall that you can`t carry more fuel than the quantity in the fuel tank/s fitted, and approved, for the particular aircraft.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Tex]

I`ve just tried Google, to find the current regulation on carrying fuel and couldn`tFrank.

There aren't any that apply to us (RAA reg AC)

 

 

[farri]

There aren't any that apply to us (RAA reg AC)

I doubt it! We are bound by the current CAR`s and CAO`s! We fly under exemptions to those orders.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Tex]

I doubt it! We are bound by the current CAR`s and CAO`s! We fly under exemptions to those orders.Frank.

Exactly my point Frank... you were talking about regulations (not Orders) that apply to carriage of fuel

 

I`ve just tried Google, to find the current regulation on carrying fuelFrank.

emphasis addedwhich are found in the CASR's.... from which we are exempt, as you note.

 

So

 

There aren't any that apply to us (RAA reg AC)

 

 

[farri]

Tex, I don`t have a problem with this issue or anything you are saying and I was only going from memory!

 

I don`t know of any exemption that allows us to carry extra fuel on the back seat or anywhere else for that matter!

 

Assuming you are correct, could you please post the section of the exemption, so that everybody is clear on the issue.

 

Frank.

 

 

[robinsm]

Be interesting trhen to see if any of the long distance ferry flights with fuel bladders are legal???

 

 

[Tex]

Part 200 of the CASR's are where you will find the exemptions from the CASR's. Of course the exemption does not apply to the RAA Manual, but it is silent on this issue.