Started making a baffle assembly for the left fuel tank. Basically just used a couple of left over ends I had made previously out of .032 5052 when I thought I was going to go that route.
The baffes will be connected together via a .025 channel and will just slide into the tank but not be connected to anything, The baffles will be held snuff front to back and top top to bottom by their own tight fit inside of the tank profile. Side to side motion will be inhibited by the channel which will run the full length of the tank. I'll make a bent tab on the end of the channel which will provide some mild spring loading. The assembly should be able to move at all even though it won't actually be connected to anything. Pretty nice retrofit for a tank that wasn't designed with baffles.
Just need to rivet the baffles to the channel then I can give it a try.
A 3/4 full tank would be about 60 pounds of fuel sloshing. That's quite a bit. Double that (120lbs of surging fuel ) with the other tank and I'd imagine it's possble to feel that in flight. Be interesting to compare it some time in the future with another 601xl with no tank baffles. I would guess it would be noticiable. Kind of like not realizing how nice your car can ride till you get a set of new shocks in it. Still functional with the old shocks, but feels more stable and comfortable with new shocks.
Getting close. Get this baffle assembly in, then I can install the vent and weld the end and front edge of the tank up and test it.
The next tank should go pretty fast now that I know exactly what I want to do tank-wise.
Half the problem was redesigning it so that it's easier for me to contruct, while still be maintainable while it's in the wing. I don't want to have to rip the wing apart to replace or fit a leak. Therefore, the tank has to be welded, no rivets and Proseal. And anything that's not welded needs to be accessible.
