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Dave's RV-7A Builder's Log
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Date: 3-19-2016
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Number of Hours: 3.00
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Fuel system plumbing
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Split sessions at the hangar today. In session #1, I elected to try out the 5052 aluminum tubing that I had received from Aircraft Spruce. As mentioned in previous posts, I was going to have to remake the fuel filter-to-pump connection in order to get everything to fit properly under the cover, so it made sense to try and use 5052 instead of ordering more 3003. The general consensus on the forums is that 5052 is stronger and more suitable for this application, and after using it, I can see why people prefer it. For starters, it ships in straight pieces rather than coiled, so there is no need to spend any time trying to straighten it out (and never really getting it right). It bends much more precisely, or maybe more to the point, every bend is intentional since there are no inadvertent “wiggles” from the straightening process. Finally, it flares much better. The pictures don’t capture the effect completely, but the right hand tubing is 3003 and sort of “snakes” it’s way from fitting to fitting, while the 5052 looks much more professional.
After completing the connection from the filter to the pump, I placed the assembly into the fuselage and using the old pump-to-firewall piece as a template, remade it out of 5052. The end result was much more to my liking, so I’m devising a plan to make the wings-to-fuel selector runs from 5052 as well. This will require deviating from the plans and putting a union in each run, but I think overall I will be much more satisfied.
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Pump and filter detail
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3003 on the right, 5052 on the left
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