Brian, I am late into this discussion because I am only just back from a 12
day trip round France, Germany and Czech Republic in relatively newly built
914 Kremen CS prop, Navaid equipped mono XS - brilliant fun, and to me
totally convincing demonstration that this is the perfect macine for long
distance touring! I have my sight tube on the seat back, and have found the
arrangement entirely satisfactory. I have a capacitance fuel gauge which is
also on the seat back in a sturdy alumimium tube going through the top of
the tunnel in front of the cross bar joining the rigging points. This tube
is securely bonded into the tunnel and bolted onto the seat back top. It has
allowed me to avoid making a large hole in the fuel tank and the top of the
seat back, which made me somewhat uncomfortable about the possibility of
fuel leaks in an awkward space, and partial weakening of a fairly key
structural element. Having the panel mounted fuel gauge means that the sight
tube is only a back up instrument and I only use it to check pre flight and
when filling up, although if the gauge blew up in flight it would be just
about possible to check it as you went along. The sight gauge runs up the
seat back immediately to the right side of the capacitance gauge. Both are
connected via a T to the spare connector at the bottom of the main tank so
that I only measure main and not reserve ( but I am certainly not planning
any long trips on reserve!) I had originally thought to connect both to the
output side of the fuel selector switch but Europa and the PFA were not
happy with that as the fuel pumps can apparently suck air through the
plumbing in some circumstances. The vents from both again join with a T and
run along the upper back of the seat back to vent top fuselage as standard.
The sight gauge is protected by a C section portion of fabricated glass
fibre and a black/white strip behind it gives excellent visibility. I would
be most reluctant to float anything in it in case it managed to get jammed.
Will happily send you photos if you like. David Joyce
----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Rauchfuss - PCD <brauchfu@pcocd2.intel.com>
Subject: Seatback sight tube
>
> I know that a number of people are putting the sight tube on the seat
back.
>
> How do you deal with it getting crushed by luggage? I was thinking of a
> plexiglass tube over the soft one.
>
> How do you route the line? Presumably from the fuel fitting through the
tunnel
> and then through a drilled hole? How do you eliminate fretting? Where
then
> do you route the exaust tube? Under the upolstery but on top of the seat
back?
>
> I was also thinking of putting the sight tube on the seat back and all the
way
> to the filling side - this seems neater, and still easy to check when
getting
> in the pilot seat. This can't be checked when filling, though.
>
> Brian Rauchfuss
> #A072
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