Darren Dodge
Upper Woodstock, NB, Canada
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Just some pics of my
'92 Challenger II that I purchased last November. The wheel pics were taken the
week of Christmas 2003 after mild weather had opened the runway at Woodstock
(CCD3) to wheels again (I was flying on skis just a few days prior to those
pics). The ski pics were taken Jan 12/04. You can see the tiny halogen fog
lights( approx 3"W x 1.5"H x 3.5" deep) that I
purchased at Canadian Tire locally and mounted at the top of the front wing
strut. They make my CH II much more visible to other aircraft when in the
circuit which is very much appreciated by the other GA pilots. Already two other
UL pilots are adding these same lights to their aircraft.
You can see our clubhouse in
one of the pics and anyone is welcome to visit us at any time as our phone
numbers are on the door. The last pic is of C-IWRD in her new home along
with another CHII (C-IELB) and an Ultavia Pelican (C-ICIC).
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C-IWRD on floats for summer with new wing tanks installed. |
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Inboard shot of tank showing fuel level. Before painting, run a strip of painters masking tape down center of tank and remove before the final coat dries. I used Krylon Fusion paint for plastic but you need to make sure surface is washed down and free of any contaminants. |
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Outboard showing the completed tank with matching pinstripe. Much better looking than the original translucent tank. |
Wing Tanks
Darren's in-flight fuel transfer system
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Photo 1: Shows the main fuselage tank with new fittings. The line and fitting to the left of the main draw line is the 5/16 vent lines which goes up about 10in. and then down to the main gear leg opening to vent to the outside. This way no fuel fumes inside the cockpit. The fitting and line to the right is the 5/16 inlet line from the auxiliary fuel pump. This fitting just extends about 1/4in into the tank (just to the bottom of the threads). A pinch clamp is used to secure the fuel line to the fitting for easy removal. |
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Photo 2: This photo shows the fuel cans strapped into the back seat with the lines hooked up. I use two 5Gal cans side by side. This gives me room to be able to reach back and secure the rear catches on the doors. Also notice the highlighted markings on the main fuel tank and the rear seat flap is left down. This is so that I can see the fuel level in the mirror mounted above the pilots seat. Also notice the gentle loops in the fuel line to prevent any kinks. |
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Photo 3: A close up of the fuel pump used in the project. It can transfer 5 Gal in about 12 minutes. I just use two tie-wraps to secure it to one of the fuel can handles and just use a small flat-tip screwdriver to re-open the ties to reuse them. A couple of Velcro straps could also be used. |
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Photo 4: Another shot of the layout in the backseat. I am just using one fuel can at a time as after almost 3 hrs of flight, its time to set down to stretch my legs. I just switch over to the other can while I'm on the ground. Hint: make sure to loosen the jerry can vents slightly so that you can loosen them in flight from the front seat. |
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Photo 5: With system removed, I use a plastic
cap to cover the inlet line to prevent any dirt or debris from getting in
the tank. When system is in use, I put the little red plastic cap on the
switch lever on the panel to prevent its loss.
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Photo 6: Another shot with system totally
removed from aircraft. The power line has a two-conductor trailer plug on
the end of the cable that plugs into it's mate just under the panel. The
panel end is run through the Master switch then to another switch marked Aux
Fuel. The tank end of the fuel line is run through the plastic fuel cap with
a short piece (3in) of copper line to another 5/16 line inside the tank. The
end of this is weighted with another brass fitting to keep it on the bottom
of the tank. A solid copper line could be used, but the flexible line allows
the whole system to be coiled up for storage. The yellow plastic tank cap
and retainer ring stays attached to the line and I carry a second cap and
retainer in the aircraft for long flights. This way, when you are at another
airport, you can remove both tanks and take them to the gas station for
refueling when no facilities are available. The bonus with the whole system is that it is non-invasive to the aircraft fuel system. There is no plumbing into the existing fuel system that can go wrong and leave you looking for a landing site. Used correctly, that is, by allowing the main tank to go down to just below the 5Gal mark, then turning on the pump to re-fill the tank, you will still have 5 Gal in the main if something does go wrong. |