welded fuel tanks
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:46 pm
Hey Brian,
We're in the process this week of doing a close to final installation
of our fuel tanks. But we won't know for a while yet whether that's a
good thing or not. Just have to wait and see. This Rebel is a "club
project". One of the early builders welded up a pair of tanks, but
when it came time to install them, they wouldn't fit into the wings
quite right. Too "thick", and very tight getting them in fore and aft
too. So we had another club member who said his welder at his factory
could make a set for us, no problem. So, I made up some parts for
them to weld in. The 6 round fittings for the three port fittings at
each end for welding, and the two fuel sumps. Long discussions about
how to put in the baffles and the fittings. Three months later, we
found out that the tanks had been jobbed out to a local fabricating
shop. Lemme tell you how close we've come to making the same mistake
twice!! They just barely fit! We have to "pop" them down into the
wings!! And getting them out is even harder. And the long
discussions about "why" were for naught, because the fab welder didn't
do what we expected, so the tops of the baffles are solid to the tank
top with no communicating vents. We reached in with a 1/2" drill for
almost 20 inches to put one hole in, and I think it will be OK. But
they will work. And hopefully, there won't be any leaks. All the
sheet ends and fitting welds look OK, but I'm a little leery of the
baffle welds in the bottom. I didn't want them welded at the tank
bottom all. Too late now.
One thing we (I) did forget, was to leave a place for a ground
wire/strap to fasten on. Maybe we'll weld one on before final
implant.
Anyway, to actually TRY to answer your question, we did find a
fabricator here (a bit too late though) who does fuel tanks from 5052
all the time (according to him). And the price I heard was somewhere
around $300 Canadian per tank complete, but I'd have to check further
on that. Not sure what he meant by "complete" either. I made the
tank end fittings and sumps, and we bought the fuel fill weldments
from Aircraft Spruce. I think he meant he would supply and form the
sheet 5052 (I think it was) and weld everything up.
By the way, there is a bit more planning required than just making a
decision and having the tanks made and dropped in. If you don't build
the wing for wet tanks with full ribs, then you have to make up
something to replace the ribs, and some way to fasten "them" in. And
unless you are a magician,half of those rib-replacements have to be
removable to insert the tank. The rear wing-spar faces aft and
doesn't conflict, but the forward spar also faces aft and so there is
a "lp"' that makes you have to "lose" almost 2 inches off the front of
a proposed tank, or the measurements for it have to be critical to
allow it to be tipped to place and remove the tank, or the tank will
have to have a "funny" shape. (My English teacher used to warn me
about run-on sentences. Sorry!!)
And because the tank bottom is flat, and so is the bottom of the wing,
ours go in from the bottom of the wing. If you need more info, drop
me a line. And Murphy warned us that we could not cut out or
otherwise compromise any of the 3 "J" stringers (2 upper, 1 lower)
If you're really serious, drop me a line and we'll talk some more.
I think you would still be better off and save time if you can just
track down and seal the leak(s) you have, tail-chasing or not.
Take care.
Brian Lawson,
Windsor, Ontario.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
On Thu, 20 Feb 2003 13:43:55 -0800, you wrote:
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We're in the process this week of doing a close to final installation
of our fuel tanks. But we won't know for a while yet whether that's a
good thing or not. Just have to wait and see. This Rebel is a "club
project". One of the early builders welded up a pair of tanks, but
when it came time to install them, they wouldn't fit into the wings
quite right. Too "thick", and very tight getting them in fore and aft
too. So we had another club member who said his welder at his factory
could make a set for us, no problem. So, I made up some parts for
them to weld in. The 6 round fittings for the three port fittings at
each end for welding, and the two fuel sumps. Long discussions about
how to put in the baffles and the fittings. Three months later, we
found out that the tanks had been jobbed out to a local fabricating
shop. Lemme tell you how close we've come to making the same mistake
twice!! They just barely fit! We have to "pop" them down into the
wings!! And getting them out is even harder. And the long
discussions about "why" were for naught, because the fab welder didn't
do what we expected, so the tops of the baffles are solid to the tank
top with no communicating vents. We reached in with a 1/2" drill for
almost 20 inches to put one hole in, and I think it will be OK. But
they will work. And hopefully, there won't be any leaks. All the
sheet ends and fitting welds look OK, but I'm a little leery of the
baffle welds in the bottom. I didn't want them welded at the tank
bottom all. Too late now.
One thing we (I) did forget, was to leave a place for a ground
wire/strap to fasten on. Maybe we'll weld one on before final
implant.
Anyway, to actually TRY to answer your question, we did find a
fabricator here (a bit too late though) who does fuel tanks from 5052
all the time (according to him). And the price I heard was somewhere
around $300 Canadian per tank complete, but I'd have to check further
on that. Not sure what he meant by "complete" either. I made the
tank end fittings and sumps, and we bought the fuel fill weldments
from Aircraft Spruce. I think he meant he would supply and form the
sheet 5052 (I think it was) and weld everything up.
By the way, there is a bit more planning required than just making a
decision and having the tanks made and dropped in. If you don't build
the wing for wet tanks with full ribs, then you have to make up
something to replace the ribs, and some way to fasten "them" in. And
unless you are a magician,half of those rib-replacements have to be
removable to insert the tank. The rear wing-spar faces aft and
doesn't conflict, but the forward spar also faces aft and so there is
a "lp"' that makes you have to "lose" almost 2 inches off the front of
a proposed tank, or the measurements for it have to be critical to
allow it to be tipped to place and remove the tank, or the tank will
have to have a "funny" shape. (My English teacher used to warn me
about run-on sentences. Sorry!!)
And because the tank bottom is flat, and so is the bottom of the wing,
ours go in from the bottom of the wing. If you need more info, drop
me a line. And Murphy warned us that we could not cut out or
otherwise compromise any of the 3 "J" stringers (2 upper, 1 lower)
If you're really serious, drop me a line and we'll talk some more.
I think you would still be better off and save time if you can just
track down and seal the leak(s) you have, tail-chasing or not.
Take care.
Brian Lawson,
Windsor, Ontario.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
On Thu, 20 Feb 2003 13:43:55 -0800, you wrote:
it?
Anyone put a welded fuel tank in their rebel? If so where did you get
--*Getting tired of chasing this damn leak around!!
Thanks, Brian
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