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Ron's Web Site
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Date: 1-15-2011
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Number of Hours: 16.70
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Fuel Bowser
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My DAR wants to reweigh the aircraft, and he wants it empty of fuel (again). I had about 50 gallons on board, much more than the amount of jerry cans I have laying around. Last year I had bought a 115 gallon DOT-legal tank for transporting gasoline. I had intended to mount it on an old military trailer I have that needed some repair, but given the need to put the tank in use quickly, I bought an inexpensive 4 x 6 foot utility trailer. It was necessary to weld in a subframe to transmit the loads to the frame, as the expanded steel floor wouldn't likely suffice. One-half inch bolts were used to mount the tank. The 4 pin trailer wiring harness was spliced to a 7 pin trailer cord, with the auxiliary power cord being connected to an Odyssey PC-680 battery via a 30 amp cycling circuit breaker. The battery was mounted in a plastic box, and a nylon strap was used to secure the lid, after builiding an enclosing frame from mild steel angle welded to the frame. A BatteryMinder solar panel was mounted to a fabricated and welded bracket which sets the panel angle to match summer inclination when the frame is level and winter inclination when the hitch assembly is set on the ground. I ran an additional cord to allow connecting to a charger when needed. I plumbed the gas filter and two 12 foot grounded gas hoses with a Great Plains Industries battery flowmeter mounted in line to calculate fuel delivered (accurate only to 2.5%, though). Finally, I mounted an anti-static grounding reel and welded a 4 inch x 1/2 inch bolt to the left upper frame, so as to mount a spare tire. After wire wheeling the welds, Krylon black paint was applied as corrosion protection. DOT requires a 5 psi pressure-leak test every 2.5 years, and I did that, too.
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Solar panel, 7 pin trailer plug, and front jack
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Fuel pump, actuating switch and battery box.
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Aft view showing ground reel, pump and filter, spare tire and flammable sign.
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