F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

[Mark Hazelden]

Hi folks,

We are recovering a BC-12 that has been modified to a F-19.

Our customer would like to put a landing light in the left wing leading edge, remove the cockpit fuel tank, and install additional tanks in the wings.

My search on the STC list at FAA has come up empty handed.

Has anybody been here before and have field approvals or approved data?

I would welcome your ideas.


Mark Hazelden A&P
Bipe, Inc
Andrews, NC

[astjp2]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

I did the landing light mod, check the tech references section. You can install extra tanks but you still need the header tank. There have not been any mods to remove the tank and only run on wing tanks. Tim

[Robert Lees]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

Mark:

The Technical Resources section (of the Foundation website) is here.

I think it would be very expensive to get approval for the removal of the fuselage tank...your customer might get cg issues for a start, let alone the plumbing and fuel gauge issues.

[tabranch]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

The F22 has no header tank and the 2 wing tanks are controlled by a single on/off valve after they are "t"d together at the center bottom of the panel.

[Robert Lees]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

Indeed, but the F22 also has an 0-235 (or bigger) on a long mount, and it also has heavy instruments, sliding seats, a big baggage compartment, higher empty and gross weights, flaps...etc...etc.

In short, it's a completely different aeroplane, designed by a different design team and is certified to a different set of standards than the BC12D to which the original poster refers.

[astjp2]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

All of the mods that were done to the F22 were originally field approved on a BC12D, Alsworths were the ones that did the lycoming mount, sliding seats, etc. I think they even tried to use cub tanks but I would have to verify that. They did the mods 10 years before the F-22 came out. I think that the factory used his designs and put engineering numbers to the field approvals. Tim

[Mark Hazelden]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

Thanks everyone for your help.

The info on the landing light is exactly what I was look for.


Mark

[Forrest Barber]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

The factory never even knew about any other field mods prior to the F-22. Ii tried to get them to use the BC12D upgrades that we had back in 1946-51 but was out voted. I still have the drawings for the wing tanks of both sides for 9 gal , 18 gal per side. GOOD tanks too with baffles etc....
I flew all the fuel flow tests for the F-21B & F-22's ..... very interesting.
Most critical was the minumum fuel tests . Most critical was calm air & straight and level flight, the fuel would spread out all over the bottom of the tank and I would have engine failure for lack of fuel with one quart left in a 20 gal tank....... in a climb she would use all fuel before quitting. Any left would evaporate on the way down from altitude.

[RobertP]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

Forrest / Anyone,

I am probably being very slow on the uptake so bear with me! As the owner of a F22A in the UK what exactly does Forrest mean when he says the engine failed when there was still a quart in the tanks? I know the wing tanks have one USG unusable in each tank but does he mean the tanks were still a quarter full or does a quart refer to some other measurement in USG? sorry for my ignorance on this point! If you could refer to the fuel failure remaining in litres it would be helpful.

I have never flown my aircraft below the quarter full markings on each of the fuel sight guages but having read this post it concerned me.

[Marv]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

Robert 1 quart is 1/4 of a gallon or 32 ounces, not 1/4 of a tank. As long as there is 1 gallon left you wll not have to worry about it quiting. Hope thisd helps. Marv

[Mark Julicher]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

The F-22 can climb at an angle of attack that will un-port the fuel inlet with low fuel. Same with any of the 100 hp T-craft. The F-19 is placarded for 9 gallons minimum in the nose tank so you don't pull up too steeply and suck wind. Sure, it will burn all the fuel down to zero remaining, but don't do an aggressive go-around!

[Larry Lyons]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

Robert,

1 US quart = 946.352946 milliliters

[RobertP]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

Thanks guys I know much more about USG now and also feel very relieved! I am used to Imperial and Litres!

[RobertP]

Re: F-19 landing light and fuel tank mod?

Slightly off track perhaps but since I took the advice of one of the forum and fitted my landing light bulbs with the filament in the vertical and not normal horizontal position they are lasting without any problems. Before they were lasting no time at all in my F22A and I understand it is to with the forces being less on the filament wire when landing in the vertical position? Make sense I suppose as it is nearly always the filament wire which breaks?