St Louis Savannah S

[Savannah Kurt]

Hello everybody!

 

I'm new to this site/group and have already found it to be a vital resource! I just received my Savannah S kit in mid-September and am having a BLAST building it!

 

I got the Savannah S with quad fuel tanks, adjustable seats, electric flaps and trim.

 

I am a one-armed pilot so I have designed and programmed a servo operated throttle and throttle position display using an Arduino controller and a 16x2 LCD display. The throttle is designed with manual reversion in case any servo/electrical issues occur. Throttle, flaps and trim are all controlled with stick mounted buttons. 

 

I started building at the tail (as per my ICP USA representative suggested) and have completed the "fin", rudder, horizontal stabilizer, elevator (mostly), flaps and ailerons. I haven't completed the elevator/trim tab because I was waiting for missing parts to get shipped. I'm now in the middle of my first wing now and am working on the fuel tanks. After reading everybody's discussions on fuel tanks, I think I like what iBob is doing - 1 valve per fuel tank. Absolute control and no danger of overflow due to cross-flow. Take off on inner tanks, switch to outer tanks till dry, switch back to inner tanks. I may install an actual fuel gauge in my header tank as a backup to the inscrutable warning light. I'm adding a buzzer to the light as well.

 

I'm enjoying your projects, hints, tips, tricks and humor! Keep it coming.

 

I'm on the EAA Builder's Log site, but it's not always up to date. I'm keeping a paper log with printed pictures for the FAA and am updating the EAA site when time permits. 

 

Here's some pictures of my project for your entertainment!

[Savannah Kurt]

For future reference: any and ALL 1-armed jokes and jibes NEED to be added here!

 

I'll start:

Where does the one-armed guy like to shop?

THE SECOND-HAND STORE!

Edited November 9, 2021 by Savannah Kurt
Typo

[Kyle Communications]

Thats excellent work and you are powering along. You dont need to put a fuel level in the reserve tank the light is fine..just throw away the bulb and fit a 10 or 12mm flashing LED into the housing..its easy to do. Look at my blog for the details...there is a lot in the blog 

 

There is a lot of reading there some 52 pages. 

 

I like the arduino solution ..I am into electronics as well would love to see what you are doing with that

 

Mark

 

[IBob]

Hi Kurt, really interesting to read of your control mods and see your progress! I'm most interested in your Arduino work: I do a bit myself.

Credit where it's due: my fuel valve setup is a direct copy of Mark Kyle's setup on his original XL, and I referenced his build thread here a great deal during my own build.
Also, and as Mark mentions, I fitted a flashing LED instead of the bulb supplied for the low fuel indication. I then fitted a second one in parallel on the pilot's side (the standard indicator goes on the RH side of the panel).
The flashing LEDs were sourced from RS, the fuel manifold and valves we source from China, though you may have more economical sources where you are.

Keep the pics coming: it's great to see another aircraft coming together.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Welcome Kurt!

 

Bob and Mark are both fantastic at providing help and advice.  (My build is more a CH701/Sav hybrid, but most bits are the same size!)

As Bob says, keep the pics coming, we love seeing new planes being built.

 

Cheers, Marty

[Savannah Kurt]

2 hours ago, Kyle Communications said:

Thats excellent work and you are powering along. You dont need to put a fuel level in the reserve tank the light is fine..just throw away the bulb and fit a 10 or 12mm flashing LED into the housing..its easy to do. Look at my blog for the details...there is a lot in the blog 

 

There is a lot of reading there some 52 pages. 

 

I like the arduino solution ..I am into electronics as well would love to see what you are doing with that

 

Mark

 

Big fat flashing LED, aye! That simplifies things. A fuel gauge in the header would be a pain. I'm still going to add an audible buzzer to shake up any "highway hypnosis."

 

I just started digging into Another NEW Savannah... LOTS of reading there!

 

I'll post my Arduino circuit and program when I get a chance. I'm a bit out of practice with my programming, so my 40-ish lines of display code could probably be replaced with something more streamlined. I'm a bit of a kluge and sometimes take the simple, brute-force method to get things done with programming!

[Savannah Kurt]

2 hours ago, IBob said:

Hi Kurt, really interesting to read of your control mods and see your progress! I'm most interested in your Arduino work: I do a bit myself.

Credit where it's due: my fuel valve setup is a direct copy of Mark Kyle's setup on his original XL, and I referenced his build thread here a great deal during my own build.
Also, and as Mark mentions, I fitted a flashing LED instead of the bulb supplied for the low fuel indication. I then fitted a second one in parallel on the pilot's side (the standard indicator goes on the RH side of the panel).
The flashing LEDs were sourced from RS, the fuel manifold and valves we source from China, though you may have more economical sources where you are.

Keep the pics coming: it's great to see another aircraft coming together.

 

 

Heya!

 

I'm not EXACTLY following your (and Mark Kyle's) setup. I'm using two 3-way valves. Right tanks valve: Right Outer-Right Inner-Right Off. Left tanks valve: Left Off-Left Inner-Left Outer. The valve handle "points" to the tank being used (or to the center of the airframe for "off").

 

I've got a fuel return-line question. I'm going to be using an Aeromomentum AM13 100hp fuel injected engine on my Savannah. Can I just route my return line to the header tank or is that asking for trouble? I'm a little concerned about routing it full-time to any other tank because if I'm running on outer tanks and my fuel return is going to my inner tank, won't I get a fuel overflow? If I route the return line to the header tank, then any return fuel would, hopefully, be pushed back up to whatever tank is supplying the fuel, or at the least resupplying the header tank. Am I talking gibberish?

 

Thoughts?

[eightyknots]

4 hours ago, IBob said:

Hi Kurt, really interesting to read of your control mods and see your progress! I'm most interested in your Arduino work: I do a bit myself.

Credit where it's due: my fuel valve setup is a direct copy of Mark Kyle's setup on his original XL, and I referenced his build thread here a great deal during my own build.
Also, and as Mark mentions, I fitted a flashing LED instead of the bulb supplied for the low fuel indication. I then fitted a second one in parallel on the pilot's side (the standard indicator goes on the RH side of the panel).
The flashing LEDs were sourced from RS, the fuel manifold and valves we source from China, though you may have more economical sources where you are.

Keep the pics coming: it's great to see another aircraft coming together.

 

 

I read somewhere in the Recreational Flying site that a bubble in the reserve tank sometimes hinders the float switch from working and this gives false information to your flashing light. Someone had proposed a "fix" for this but I can no longer find it. Does any other Rec Flying forums reader remember reading this?

[eightyknots]

1 hour ago, Savannah Kurt said:

Heya!

 

I'm not EXACTLY following your (and Mark Kyle's) setup. I'm using two 3-way valves. Right tanks valve: Right Outer-Right Inner-Right Off. Left tanks valve: Left Off-Left Inner-Left Outer. The valve handle "points" to the tank being used (or to the center of the airframe for "off").

 

I've got a fuel return-line question. I'm going to be using an Aeromomentum AM13 100hp fuel injected engine on my Savannah. Can I just route my return line to the header tank or is that asking for trouble? I'm a little concerned about routing it full-time to any other tank because if I'm running on outer tanks and my fuel return is going to my inner tank, won't I get a fuel overflow? If I route the return line to the header tank, then any return fuel would, hopefully, be pushed back up to whatever tank is supplying the fuel, or at the least resupplying the header tank. Am I talking gibberish?

 

Thoughts?

Hi Kurt,

 

I am also toying with the idea of using an Aeromomentum engine. What kind of cowl and FWF setup will you be using?

[IBob]

Kurt, you're not talking gibberish at all. I believe Mark has his fuel return plumbed back into his fuel selector valve block. Seems to me it would work fine, let's see if Mark has anything to add to that>

 

Eightynots, the air bubble in the receiver tank problems dates back to the older Savannahs, which had no vent pipe from the receiver. The problem was that once you got air in there, it had nowhere to go. The manual now calls for a breather pipe from the top of the receiver tank to a point high in the L inboard tank. This effectively addresses the problem.

[eightyknots]

6 minutes ago, IBob said:

Eightynots, the air bubble in the receiver tank problems dates back to the older Savannahs, which had no vent pipe from the receiver. The problem was that once you got air in there, it had nowhere to go. The manual now calls for a breather pipe from the top of the receiver tank to a point high in the L inboard tank. This effectively addresses the problem.

Thank you iBob. That puts my mind at rest regarding the bubble trouble: I can stop looking for the information now.

[eightyknots]

9 minutes ago, IBob said:

Kurt, you're not talking gibberish at all. I believe Mark has his fuel return plumbed back into his fuel selector valve block. Seems to me it would work fine, let's see if Mark has anything to add to that>

It seems to make sense to me. Where can one sources these Chinese fuel selector valves in Enzed?

[Kyle Communications]

Yes the 2 top outlets in the reserve tank I used one as the input from the fuel manifold the other as the breather going directly to the top of one of the fuel tanks..pax side..my fuel return went to the manifold itself and that stops your tank from overflowing using the ICP way of doing things. The fuel treturn just goes back to the bulk fuel lot so all open tanks should get that return in theory. I have never had intermittant fuel light or any issues with tank overflows at all. The current rebuild "Mabel" although has a different tank setup the fuel delivery system will be exactly the same although I will only have a right side and left side now...if you look at my S model rebuild blog on the savannah forum you can see what I did...

 

 

[AndyDrain]

Hi.  I also play a bit with Arduinos.  These sensors can detect fuel through the tank walls. I have put them about an inch up from the bottom of each tank and connected them through an Arduino to a simple 4 LED display. Set to be on when fuel is present - they start to flash as the fuel gets to slopping level and go out around 5 Litres.  I plan to add one to the header tank one day as an extra safety measure. They are only a few bucks each.

[grindel]

Hi, Kurt,

 

How is the build going?  I am in the St. Louis area (Peoria) and I'm also interested in the Savannah, but it seems silly since I'm so close to the Zenith factory.  What was the differentiation that made you pick the Savannah?  Did you have a good experience with the factory and the distributor?  My son is helping to build a Zenith Cruiser build at the local EAA chapter and they really seem to be struggling with the kit quality, I just do not have a frame of reference to understand how common that is.

 

Thanks,

 

Nick