John,
at this point in time (not building - waiting on parts-
just thinking) I am planning on a sight gauge between
the seat backs so I could easily check it against my
panel (I am going with the EFIS/One and a capacitance
probe) and also if my panel goes out completely.
I am leaning toward the "bead in a bubble" from
Atkinson ( http://home.attbi.com/~nostromo56/ ) but
would have to make sure I could mount it for proper
levels.
Dean Wiegand
Sacramento CA USA
dwiegand@surewest.net
kit A259
www.dwiegand.dnsalias.com/europa/
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com]On
Behalf Of
TELEDYNMCS@aol.com
Subject: Europa-List: Fuel sight guages
Greetings all.
I've been pondering whether or not to use a fuel sight
guage, using a
mechanical guage mounted in the top of the tank
instead. And whether to just
forego the guage altogether and use a fuel flow
computer/sight guage combo.
The time has come to make a decision and I'd like to
solicit comments if you
have any.
Here's the problem. The mechanical guage I have (Tempo
Products marine type)
would mount in the top of the tank on the left side. I
can't seem to come up
with a way to make this mechanical guage work with a
"clean" transition
between the tank top and the cockpit module top because
of the way the tank
mounts to the cockpit module and the way these type
guages mount into the top
of the tank. I've seen a couple capacitance types that
have been mounted
inside the headrest area and into the tank, and a
couple mounted in the area
between the head rests, closer to the left side
headrest. A mechanical or
capacitance guage also means more holes (6 in this
case) in the tank
resulting in more places to develop a leak and hard to
get to if they ever do
start leaking. Add to that the hole in the top of the
cockpit module needed
to access the guage (compromising the structural
integrity of the cockpit
module? Not a problem though if mounted under the
headrest since the hole
would be in the plywood floor of the headrest, but hard
to get to) and it
just doesn't seem worth doing.
I don't like where Europa suggests putting the sight
guage (left hand side
of the center tunnel). It seems like you'd kick it
every time you get in and
out of the airplane. My thoughts at this point are to
forget the mechanical
guage, install the sight guage in the right rear corner
of the baggage hold,
where it would be visible before loading baggage, and
use an electronic,
programmable fuel flow computer (such as Vision
Microsystems VM1000). It
seems to me this significantly shortens the amount of
fuel/vent line run
around the cockpit, significantly shortens the sight
guage vent line length
and satisfies the FAA requirement for a sight guage on
board. The only real
problem here is cost, but when you add up what all this
little gizmo does
it's not all that out of bounds.
Comments? Suggestions?
John Lawton
Dunlap, TN
A-245
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