Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 Working my way forward with the cockpit area and firewall. Reinforcements for the bottom engine mounts.
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 Reinforcements for the bottom engine mounts. Bottom engine mount with reinforcement and bolt.
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 The wife is the first one to sit in the airplane. 1
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 The wife is the first one to sit in the airplane. Hoisting the Viking 130 into place.
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 Hoisting the Viking 130 into place. Mounting the Viking has been much easier than I expected having never done this before. It's just a matter of hanging the engine and then running power and ground lines from the batteries then fuel and cooling system lines. It is really a clean installation. The wiring harness is pre-installed for you. As far as that goes you just have to hook up the engine computer and do your first start. I have decided to also have my engine monitoring system hooked up for the first start. That requires a 1 amp circuit breaker that I did not have so I'm waiting for that to come in to complete the first engine run. Hopefully any day now. Can't wait. 1
IBob Posted February 25, 2018 Posted February 25, 2018 Hey, great pics, thanks Karl!!! Can I ask, with your Aux tanks, have you T-ed them to the inner tanks? I can't see clearly in your pic...
Camel Posted February 25, 2018 Posted February 25, 2018 Hi Karl, Very impressive photos, looks good, I'm not a builder, so excuse my question, but is testing tanks with water a safe method as I would think leaks would still be possible with fuel ? 1
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 Hey, great pics, thanks Karl!!!Can I ask, with your Aux tanks, have you T-ed them to the inner tanks? I can't see clearly in your pic... I ran each tank to a shut off valve on the wing root then teed them together to the header tank. I have a sight gauge for each tank.
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 Hi Karl, Very impressive photos, looks good, I'm not a builder, so excuse my question, but is testing tanks with water a safe method as I would think leaks would still be possible with fuel ? I thought that also so when testing was complete I drained the tanks fully. Then I left the system open so most of what was left would evaporate. When it comes time to actually run fuel through the system I will waist a gallon or so by putting it in the tanks letting it run to the header tank and then draining the header tank until I see no contamination. As far as fuel testing I will do complete system leak testing with fuel before I mount the wings. 2
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 So, 4 sight guages and 4 valves? Thanks. Yeah but simpler than it seams. Inner and outer valves that are on or off. Example: .if I have fuel in all tanks I would have outer valves open and inner closed. As the outer tanks empty I open the inner valve and close the outer. I'll try to post a picture of the valves.
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 Not the best picture but you can see the fuel valve switches. I don't have the labeling done yet.
IBob Posted February 25, 2018 Posted February 25, 2018 Thanks, I'd like to see that. Mark (Kyle Communiactions) who posted above has a neat setup on his, but it's good to consider all options. 1
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 Thanks, I'd like to see that. Mark (Kyle Communiactions) who posted above has a neat setup on his, but it's good to consider all options. How is he doing his?
IBob Posted February 25, 2018 Posted February 25, 2018 This is his XL he built some years ago: he ran his lines all down to a 4 point manifold with 4 valves on the wall on the passenger side. It's on his build thread...which is huge....I'll see if I can find it.
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 This is his XL he built some years ago: he ran his lines all down to a 4 point manifold with 4 valves on the wall on the passenger side.It's on his build thread...which is huge....I'll see if I can find it. There are lots of ways to get the fuel to the engine. Your right it's always good to see what others are doing.
IBob Posted February 25, 2018 Posted February 25, 2018 I think this is it: Another NEW Savannah XL on its way
IBob Posted February 25, 2018 Posted February 25, 2018 My wings are still open (and I am Rivnuting the tank covers). Before I close them I am going to swap the steel lines supplied for hoses. I'm sure you are right to put valves on all 4 tanks, though the setup that came with the kit has the inner tanks permanently on.
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 My wings are still open (and I am Rivnuting the tank covers).Before I close them I am going to swap the steel lines supplied for hoses. I'm sure you are right to put valves on all 4 tanks, though the setup that came with the kit has the inner tanks permanently on. Yeah I used high pressure line also. And I liked the idea of being able to isolate all the tanks.
IBob Posted February 25, 2018 Posted February 25, 2018 I have an old house in the country with DIY plumbing on a gravity system. I have seen some pretty weird things where pipes went down then up a bit again, and you'd think the water would just go but it doesn't. Long story short, I'm a bit superstitious about this, so I'm wanting to arrange the upper piping so that it never goes back uphill. 1
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 I have an old house in the country with DIY plumbing on a gravity system. I have seen some pretty weird things where pipes went down then up a bit again, and you'd think the water would just go but it doesn't.Long story short, I'm a bit superstitious about this, so I'm wanting to arrange the upper piping so that it never goes back uphill. Yep I'm right there with you. I have a lot of testing to do in that regard. I want to make sure she'll gravity feed at all normal flight angles. I have a header tank that is 2 1/2 gallons with a gauge on the panel. I do like know I have at least 20 minutes of full to get down if all else fails. 1
IBob Posted February 25, 2018 Posted February 25, 2018 Gotcha. I'll also be replacing (and maybe repositioning) the low level indicator with something bright and flashy and solid state (if it's not already).
Savannah Karl Posted February 25, 2018 Author Posted February 25, 2018 Gotcha. I'll also be replacing (and maybe repositioning) the low level indicator with something bright and flashy and solid state (if it's not already). There is a flow sensor that im thinking about using. It would alert me with a light on the panel when fuel flow stops from the wing tanks. It would give me a heads up when the outer tank is empty and it's Time to switch to the inner tank. Aircraft extras makes it. Called the AE fuel guardian. 1
IBob Posted February 25, 2018 Posted February 25, 2018 Okay. Would that not be replicating the function of the header low level indicator? I guess it would come on just a little earlier. With the weird flow situations, they go okay once primed. It's the priming (initial filling) of them that can be weird. I'm sure you know that already, but it's good to spell this stuff out before flying over forests and oceans. I'm in NZ but we get Australian kits, and they have the aux tanks because of all the space they have with nothing much along the way. Out in the workshop picking up where I left off almost a year ago...gradually working out what the bits all over the bench are.......)
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