Bladder tanks

Since this is such a knowledgeable crowd, I have the choice of putting in either bladder or standard tanks in a Beaver rebuild.

Bladder's seem to be safer in fires, but how many post crash fires are there? Survivable ones.

Bladder's have the weakness of a) potential mogas issue if there is a need to use mogas if caught out somewhere; b) maybe leak and maintenance; and c) maybe not full usable fuel.

The tanks are below the pilots legs btw.

Any good thoughts here? They would be new bladders, for what that is worth.

The concensus with my 'colleagues' in this area is that stock Beaver tanks are better than the bladder mod.

I've not been around them much.

DAVE

Thanks for the input. The bladder's were also stock, I believe, just not put on most of them.

BLADDER TANKS

I've owned a beaver for 15 years with bladders. Never had a leak. Rebuilt her in 03 and replaced the bladders which were originally installed at manufacture in 1965. I occasionally used avgas/autogas blend when necessary, but went out of my way to avoid straight autogas because it will dry out and eat the seals on the primer pump. I think the whole 985 beaver setup was designed around lead for lubrication.

Use avgas in airplanes, autogas in cars and bikes.

Sorry guys.

I've never seen the stock bladder set-up.

The bladders I've seen have the stock aluminum fuel tanks with the tops cut out of them and bladders laying inside the aluminum tanks.

What years were the bladders in there?

Thanks. DAVE

PS. If a guy decides to go with aluminum tanks, there are a couple of ways of helping to insure that they don't crack.