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Mike & Aneta's RV Projects
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Date: 11-11-2012
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Number of Hours: 4.00
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Planning Extended Range Tanks
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Today, I spent some time finalizing the extra parts I'll need to order to build extended range fuel tanks into the leading edges of my wings. I have been researching and learning how others have done this modification for over a year now. Pat Tuckey, of Tuckey tank fame, has been my main inspiration, as well as a few other guys in Australia and South America. I also have the benefit of a few RV builder buddies who have done what I am planning with great success.
The key is to build a portion of the leading edges of each wing into an additional tank. The structure of the leading edge remains pretty much the same, except the ribs become tank ribs, spaced more closely together to strengthen that area. Also, stiffeners are used to strengthen the skin too. Most of the time, these auxillary tanks will remain empty, in which case, the RV-10 will fly normally. When the auxillary tanks are full, there will be very little useful load remaining for carrying people. Thus it will essentially become a two person airplane. However, effective range will be almost doubled.
I do not go at this lightly, and neither should anyone reading this right now. Modifcations come with tradeoffs in the utility of the airplane. In other words, with extra fuel aboard, precautions must be taken in the way the plane is used and the way the fuel is managed. However, I've been thinking a lot about these issues, and for the most part will be following the paths of several others who have done this before. In fact, at OSH 2012 I met a gentlemen who is offering similar tanks, prefabbed in glass, that go in place of the 10's leading edge. His reason for doing this was to offer people a turbine engine conversion for the RV-10, with the added fuel necessary to feed that sucker! However, those tanks were pricey, and fiberglass leading edges don't appeal to me, so I'm sticking with the tried and true aluminum solution. Of course, I need to finish work on the aft sections of the wings before I can move on to the tanks. Stay tuned.
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