Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

[VictorBravo]

I have a 1940 BL(C)-65. It already had a left wing tank, and I just put in the right wing tank.

When I cut the little hole in the fabric inside the cabin to install the right tank fuel valve, there was a piece of metal right in front of the tank outlet.

The metal is a small C-channel that extends from the upper right cabin longeron down to the top middle of the door frame. It just happens to be 100% in the way of where the fuel valve would screw into the tank.

My options SEEM to be:

1. disassemble the airplane, cut the fabric off the upper cabin wall, and re-weld the C-channel an inch one way or another. I do NOT want to disassemble an airplane that has taken me months to put back together!!!!

2. live without the right side fuel tank, but get penalized for the weight of the tank every flight. That would be a waste and an ongoing irritant to say the least.

3. Cut the piece of metal out to allow the fuel valve to go where it needs to go. The C-channel seems to NOT be a structural member of any significance.

The fuel tank cannot be moved out of the way fore-aft because the drag wires go through the fuel tank.

Any of you genius-caliber folks have any other way to hook up the fuel tank, or an opinion you'd care to share? Does anyone know what to do? I am ASSUMING thatpre-war T-crafts did not have wing tanks, and this is the reason they didn't worry about where that piece of channel went.

Bill Berle
Exasperated, injured, wore out,
and ready to stop being a mechanic
and start beling a flyer again!

[Acroeric]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

Bill- I am not sure if I understand you correctly but some require a 90 degree elbow to clear the channel. I wish I had a photo to show you. I am sure someone on here will know how to get you going.

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

Bill, I believe Eric was talking about a 90 degree fitting so one could turn the line and go down to the cockpit for the fuel valve install. I imagine what you want and have probably already done with the other side is install the fuel valve over the door. Seen many BC12Ds that way and like it also. I will take a look at one of my pre war fuselages today as I need to go down to the airport anyhoo. I will get back offline to you. Is this the plane you did the Harrier STC to ?

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

You do what you got to do!! I like the fuel valves down by the knees , but my BC12D has them up at the ears. pre-war (early ) had a push-pull valve up by your ear. The 90 degee forward to a left-right valve then on down to the main tank probably is the answer.... Bill I just read your adventure in the VC TOC newsletter.... good stuff...

[Dano"T"]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

My valves are by my knees and one started leaking....it backfed out of the header tank and saturated the floor. Good thing I only use 100LL because it doesn't stink as much as Unleaded auto fuel. I hope it evaporates. I already had a new carpet piece made...so that's no big deal....my point is, if the valve is in the wing root...at least you can drain the wing tank and stop the leak to fix it. I had to drain both the wing tank and the header tank. I hope no other damage is done. Watch out for leaky valves...bummer. Bill, I am unable to assist on your problem...sorry.

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

Yikes Thats what I worry about with some of whats out there in the fleet. Many of these ol birds seep and leak around the fuel fittings and valves. There is some real spectacular philm footage of a fire ball dropping out of the sky in Miami earlier this week. Lets all make sure our fuel lines fittings and valves are up to date. Dont want to see anybody fry out of the sky !

[VictorBravo]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

I am talking about a small 1/2" C-channel that is welded from the upper cabin longeron down to the door frame. This channel is right in front of the fuel tank outlet on the right side, so I cannot screw any fitting, elbow, valve, etc into the tank.

The tank is located in the wing by the drag wires running thru the tank, so I don't think I could have put the tank in wrong.

If I cut that C-channel, is there any sort ofp roblem structurally that is not immediately obvious? It appears to be only a stiffener for the door frame.

[high time cub]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

Victor Bravo,
Simply weld a piece of U channel to a split tube clamp (once called a "Fokker" clamp) and install it with AN hardware where it's out of the way. Many antique birds such as the Fleet biplane use tube clamps to fasten just about everything to the basic bones.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

Amen! Bill can you send a picture sometime.... perhaps your airplane is something different. Did you install the tank? I will go back and read the whole thread tomorrow. Now I am off to another thing I do real well! WINGS & BEER AT CORNIE'S

[Grant S. Bailey]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

Bill,

I think I know exactly what you are talking about and I think I am going to be facing the same problem. My aircraft is a 1951 Model 19. You can see in the attached picture the airplane as I purchased it prior to rebuild. The two lines you see outside the cabin in the wing root area are the fuel line and vent line. You can see these lines run forward between the wing root and cabin to the windshield area where they enter the cabin. My fuel valves for the wing tanks are under the panel around the knees of pilot and passenger. I assume this was the original config for the Model 19. After I recovered the fuselage and did a test fit of the wings (prior to cover), there was very little clearance between the wing root and cabin on the right side. Obviously I did not get the door frame mounted exactly as it was originally. It is going to be very questionable if I can fit the fuel line between cabin and wing root and I can't run it into the cabin as the upper door frame lies right where the fuel line would enter the cabin. My one saving grace may be that when I shrunk the fabric on the wing, I believe it pulled the root rib inwards enough to create the clearance. There is a 90 degree fitting from the wing fuel tanks right at the wing root.

I know I haven't helped you any, but at least I know exactly what you are talking about. Do you have enough clearance to run the fuel line forward between wing root and cabin? If so, maybe you could do that and install the shutoff valves under the instrument panel as I believe is standard for later model Taylorcrafts?

[Robert Lees]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

One of my machines is a pre-war (1941) fuselage, and having replaced a wing tank, I never came across such a "C" section. I cannot think what purpose it served, other than to stiffen the assembly, as Bill suggests. For info, three views of the wing root on the above aircraft are here and here and here

There is no section there, Bill. Perhaps Forrest has access to a drawing that explains it, otherwise I would chop it out and fit the darn tank.

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

Victor Bravo Well as promised I went to the airport today and looked at BOTH of the 1940 BL fuselages I have that are not currently covered .Guess what ? Neithor one of em have any type of channel material or any thing for that matter in the wing root area. Both sides of both planes have nothing in this area. Both these fuselages are early 1940 BL s Do not know how you got that material added on that fuselage you have.Perhaps the factory added to later serial# planes ? We can swap pictures if you like . Again was this plane a BL? and you put the Harrier STC on it ? I will be using wing tanks in one of these and like you am adding a right tank. I know what I would do if it were me........(Neither of these fuselages show any signs of failure in that area)

[whake]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

100% in the way of where the fuel valve would screw into the tank.

My options SEEM to be:

1. disassemble the airplane, cut the fabric off the upper cabin wall, and re-weld the C-channel an inch one way or another. I do NOT want to disassemble an airplane that has taken me months to put back together!!!!

2. live without the right side fuel tank, but get penalized for the weight of the tank every flight. That would be a waste and an ongoing irritant to say the least.

3. Cut the piece of metal out to allow the fuel valve to go where it needs to go. The C-channel seems to NOT be a structural member of any significance.

The fuel tank cannot be moved out of the way fore-aft because the drag wires go through the fuel tank.

Any of you genius-caliber folks have any other way to hook up the fuel tank, or an opinion you'd care to share? Does anyone know what to do? I am ASSUMING thatpre-war T-crafts did not have wing tanks, and this is the reason they didn't worry about where that piece of channel went.

Bill Berle
Exasperated, injured, wore out,
and ready to stop being a mechanic
and start beling a flyer again![/QUOTE]

[whake]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

I am not familiar with your problem, haveing said that...how about fastening an alum plate wider than the channel but stronger...rivet to the channel..than cut a hole thru the new piece and the channel to access the tapped hole in the tank.. I am a new owner, my T-Craft is in Rockford IL and I live in Florida. hope to see it in the spring

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Wing Tank Problems... Help, Anyone!

Bill ,
Whake re-copied your orginal message to all of us. Whake then sent another message stating he did not know the problem but offered some sort of fabrication solution . Please see my message 3 up from this one . I believe you have a very clear answer in it. Lets talk on private e-mail. I need to discuss with you your Harrier STC. To Whake the new guy with the Taylorcraft, WELCOME nice to have you with us. I am not trying to throw any rocks at you. I am just wanting to make sure this gets resolved to the thread starter (and fellow PREWAR Taylorcraft owners satisfaction) most important is he does not miss what I feel is somthing he can use. You will find we all really want to help each other AND yes also chat for company.