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Fuel valve open or close between flights

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raimo.toivio(at)rwm.fi
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:52 am Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

All



Svein´s answer below gave me a new topic.



After flights do you close or not main fuel selector valve?



I have elected to keep it always open!

I understand there is an other side also.

Anyway when it is always open I never forget to open it before take offs.

I tested and it is possible to make a fast take off with closed valve.

That means EFATO situation.



To prevent jamming or seizing  I move it couple of times in a year between ON-RESERVE-CLOSED positions.



Other visions please.



Raimo OH-XRT



---

rlborger(at)mac.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:10 am Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

Raimo,



I too have tried the closed position to see how long the noise maker  

continues to run and was surprised by how long it works.  Scary  

thought of taking off with valve in one of the many OFF positions and  

having the noise maker go quiet as you reach altitude for the first  

turn.  So I leave my valve in the MAIN position at all times and will  

include instructions to rotate the valve 360 degrees at each oil  

change interval and inspection.



Bob Borger

Europa Kit #A221 N914XL, XS Mono, Intercooled 914, Airmaster C/S

http://www.europaowners.org/N914XL

Aircraft Flying!

3705 Lynchburg Dr.

Corinth, TX  76208

Home:  940-497-2123

Cel:  817-992-1117

On Apr 28, 2009, at 9:57, Raimo Toivio wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <raimo.toivio(at)rwm.fi>



 All



 Svein´s answer below gave me a new topic.



 After flights do you close or not main fuel selector valve?



 I have elected to keep it always open!

 I understand there is an other side also.

 Anyway when it is always open I never forget to open it before take  

 offs.

 I tested and it is possible to make a fast take off with closed valve.

 That means EFATO situation.



 To prevent jamming or seizing  I move it couple of times in a year  

 between ON-RESERVE-CLOSED positions.



 Other visions please.



 Raimo OH-XRT

raimo.toivio(at)rwm.fi
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:27 am Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

---

raimo.toivio(at)rwm.fi
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:40 am Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

---

rick(at)amimotormanagemen
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:58 am Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

Hi Guys

I think that before you change tanks after taxi but before power checks you

should be aware that the Rotax runs for a little while before

stopping........



P.S   S & F was great. Well done Europa.

Rick Morris

G-RIKS Tri 912s 

  



--

rlborger(at)mac.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:38 pm Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

Raimo,



I said "many" off positions because my fuel selector valve is a  

simple, 90 degree, ball valve which will rotate 360 degrees as many  

times as you want to turn it.  And in any position besides forward or  

up it is effectively (greatly reduced flow) or fully off.  That is why  

the fuel selector back plate is thus:



Check six,

Bob Borger

Europa Kit #A221 N914XL, XS Mono, Intercooled 914, Airmaster C/S

http://www.europaowners.org/N914XL

Aircraft Flying!

3705 Lynchburg Dr.

Corinth, TX  76208

Home:  940-497-2123

Cel:  817-992-1117

On Apr 28, 2009, at 11:33, Raimo Toivio wrote:



[quote] 

 <raimo.toivio(at)rwm.fi>

 ---

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gregoryf.flyboy(at)comcas
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:14 pm Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

Funny, I chose the same convention, but for ergonomic reasons. I figured

with the main tank selection pointing forward, it would be a little more out

of the way, and less prone to leaning against. Seated in the normal fasion

while flying, the fuel selector valve is out of the way, anyway.

It is opposite the normal convention (main and reserve are swapped -normally

main points up), but only if I remember correctly. 

Works for me, though.

 



 	  Quote: 	
		  - pointer to fore position means MAIN (because I wanna fly usually

forward!)
	


 	  Quote: 	
		  - pointer to up position means RES (because I do NOT wanna go down!)

g-iani(at)ntlworld.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:34 am Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

All



With G-IANI we operate the check list routine. Switch to RESERVE before

starting the engine, and keep it there during warm-up and taxi.  Before

run-up, switch to MAIN.  Check MAIN before take-off.  On shut down we switch

to OFF.

The interesting point is that after 150 hour the Europa supplied tap was

becoming to stiff for Irene to turn.  As I had a spare I replaced it.  The

second tap started to become very stiff at 240 hour.  This time I replaced

it with an Andair.



It will be interesting to see how long the Andair lasts.

Ian Rickard G-IANI XS Trigear, 200 hours

Europa Club Mods Rep (Trigear)

e-mail mods(at)europaclub.org.uk   

   or direct g-iani(at)ntlworld.com

raimo.toivio(at)rwm.fi
Guest

Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:04 am Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

Hi Bob "check six" Borger and all



This is my fuel selector back plate w blue "main", green "res" and red "closed" positions (one only).

We have similar Europa type valves with two click-type off positions.

You see it is impossible to select another (down) off pos because it is mechanically prevented.

There are hundreds of different back plate arts - would be interesting to see them all!



If you compare our pics there is also one other difference but that is for another topic.

This topic will explode banks I am sure - so please find out your heart medicines.

Coming back!



Raimo OH-XRT

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Rowland_Carson

Joined: 04 Jul 2008
Posts: 155
Location: Cheltenham, England

Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 10:14 am Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

At 2009-04-28 17:57 +0300 Raimo Toivio wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  After flights do you close or not main fuel selector valve?



I have elected to keep it always open


	


 	  Quote: 	
		  To prevent jamming or seizing  I move it couple of times in a year 

between ON-RESERVE-CLOSED positions.



Other visions please


	


Raimo - attached is a picture of my fuel selector as fitted to the 

cockpit module (not yet installed in the fuselage). I had to use a 

short extension between the selector and the valve to let the flap 

actuating rod pass. I may need to fit a transparent hinged cover for 

better elbow comfort, but I think the Andair selector, fitted in this 

location, has much better ergonomics than the standard XS factory 

arrangement. I tried sitting in the CM and operating the imaginary 

valve protruding from the tunnel down by my right hip and found it 

most awkward - I would not like to use it in an emergency.



Andair caution against excessive operation of the valve dry (I ran 

some kerosene through mine for lubrication while I was fiddling about 

with the installation), but they don't seem to place any restrictions 

on operation once wet with fuel and in service.



The checks I was taught on shutdown after pulling the mixture and the 

prop stopped were: "mags off, fuel off, master off". Likewise the 

before-start checks included "fuel on, to lowest tank" and the 

before-takeoff checks included "fuel on, to fullest tank". On some 

(C150) aircraft the school policy was to leave the fuel tap open, and 

I recall that on one of those I once tried to move the tap for some 

reason on the ground and found it was seized solid. Even so, we did 

touch drills in accordance with the above checklists even if the tap 

was not actually moved.



regards



Rowland

-- 

| Rowland Carson    http://home.clara.net/rowil/

| <rowil(at)clara.net>          ... that's Rowland with a 'w' ...

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Ivor Phillips

Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 253
Location: London UK

Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 12:02 pm Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

Hi Raimo

My Andair fuel valve is slightly different to Rowlands, Its off position is to the right,You are unable to shut it off unless you lift the centre pin, But you can move between Main and reserve very easily, In my opinion its idiot proof,

I would highly recommend one to replace the standard europa valve, I normally close the valve after a flight,

regards

Ivor

 	  Quote: 	
		   >After flights do you close or not main fuel selector valve?

 >

 >I have elected to keep it always open

 

 >To prevent jamming or seizing  I move it couple of times in a year 

 >between ON-RESERVE-CLOSED positions.

 >

...

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Rowland_Carson

Joined: 04 Jul 2008
Posts: 155
Location: Cheltenham, England

Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 2:48 pm Post subject: Fuel valve open or close between flights

At 2009-05-04 20:57 +0100 <ivor.phillips(at)ntlworld.com> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  My Andair fuel valve is slightly different to Rowlands, Its off 

position is to the right


	


Ivor - I preferred the ergonomics of the Andair FS20x7 to any of the 

other models because it allows the pointer to point to the side of 

the tank that you are using, and the OFF position is symmetrically 

arranged betweeen the other 2 positions. You can see more of the 

internal tunnel arangements in my build journal on my website.



 	  Quote: 	
		  In my opinion its idiot proof


	


I felt I needed even more idiot-proofing, hence the desire to have 

the selector pointer pointing at the side the fuel is being drawn 

from.



Of course, this is not a mod, since it's all Standard Aircraft Practice.



regards



Rowland

-- 

| Rowland Carson  LAA #16532    http://home.clara.net/rowil/aviation/

| 1260 hours building Europa #435 G-ROWI  e-mail <rowil(at)clara.net>

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