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Increasing Fuel...

Utah-Jay

MEMBER
Heber City, UT
I am curious about the ability to increase the fuel tanks in a Carbon Cub SS. Most seem to have 24 gallons with a 180HP engine and I am looking for more “range” than that would allow. By quoting range I am not looking at cross country trips, just the ability to hang out in the Idaho backcountry for 5 days without making fuel runs every other day.

Thanks in advance,

Jay
 
Cub crafters sells a carbon fiber fuel pod. Just put one on and it gets tied into the left wing. Great quality, directions aren’t the greatest but you can figure it out easily. I think it’s 32 or 38 gallons. Uses the float attachment and the rear gear bolt.


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How about fuel bags? Leave the bags at camp and refill on return. Allows you to operate without hauling the entire load of fuel around.

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Cub crafters sells a carbon fiber fuel pod. Just put one on and it gets tied into the left wing. Great quality, directions aren’t the greatest but you can figure it out easily. I think it’s 32 or 38 gallons. Uses the float attachment and the rear gear bolt.


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just installed the Lewaero fuel tank purchased from Cub Crafters on my CC EX this week for the exact reason noted above. 24 gals even in New England had many trips at the edge of my comfort level. Not a big fan of watching the site gauges dip real low! 60 gals potential now...way beyond my bladder range. Randy is correct. Great form, fit, finish, and function. We did have a few head scratching moments with the install which I passed onto Eric Lewis.
 

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Turbopilot. I also saw the Posts regarding high CO levels In CCs with belly pods and Velcroed a digital CO detector to my panel. In addition to the instant CO reading It has a memory function that captures the highest reading when turned on. On my first flight with the Lewaero pod and CO monitor the highest reading was 24 ppm. Not too bad, but worrying.

The CC posts on high CO readings mentioned ensuring positive pressure in the cabin to keep exhaust from being sucked in. I turned the openings of the circular ceiling vents from facing rearward to forward. Even when closed the vents are not tightly sealed and in flight when Facing rearward produce a negative suction.

I now have 4 hours with the Lewaero fuel pod and forward facing vents. CO levels are low single digits or 0. These readings were with cabin heat both on and off.

Chip
 
It tees into the existing fuel lines just below the fuel selector (both, left, right, off) on the left side of the cabin. The instructions were pretty good. The pump switch is located on the seat base

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A good amount! EAB 1865 lb gross weight. 948 Lb original empty weight now with + 20 lbs for the pod. (968 lb).

60 gal fuel 360 lb. pilot and passenger 360 lb (+/-). Leaves ~ 170 lb for baggage. I’m sure the sink rate will increase significantly at those weights and don’t anticipate many flights at those numbers.

the pod is mostly for the 10 or 20 gals I need for feel good reserves as the sight gauges get low on some of my New England Area flights But it’s there if I want to have really long legs!
 
the pod is mostly for the 10 or 20 gals I need for feel good reserves as the sight gauges get low on some of my New England Area flights But it’s there if I want to have really long legs!

A smaller, conformal pod of 15 to 20 gallons would make more sense and likely result in different aerodynamics on the belly.
 
Agree... I understand your point, but so far am very pleased with the form, fit and function of the Lewaero pod and the ability to have really long legs should some future “mission” require. I guess it’s a “Tim Allen Tool Time type of thing”.
 
I recently took a PA18 from Silver City, New Mexico to Bentonville, Arkansas with a fuel pod, CO never got over 4 ppm on my longest 5 hr leg.
 
I am curious about the ability to increase the fuel tanks in a Carbon Cub SS. Most seem to have 24 gallons with a 180HP engine and I am looking for more “range” than that would allow. By quoting range I am not looking at cross country trips, just the ability to hang out in the Idaho backcountry for 5 days without making fuel runs every other day...

How much more fuel are you talking about?
Can a set of 18 gallon tanks be fitted to a CC?
That'd give you another 12 gallons.
Or a set of the 30 gallon Atlee Dodge tanks?
That'd give you more than double.
 
I would be extremely cautious cutting into the factory fuel system to T in an aux tank. I have a small aux tank that I sometimes use, I put it in rear baggage, it pumps it to the top of the wing where we put the T behind the sight guage
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QJrVUZKcxrU&t=635s

an air bubble caused by transfer pump causes fuel starvation
Jim
 
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Think this topic came up before.
Awhile back I built a 12 gal “ferry tank” mounts in cargo area behind seat, plumbed as per plans for air glass belly fuel pod. Quick connects for fuel and vent. Pins to safari seat mounts.
I’ll use it up first, easy to remove at destination.
No, I wouldn’t want to crash with it but can’t be much worse than 36 gallons of fuel 12” from your head. It’s also a lot stronger .050, and, unlike main tanks, surrounded by a tube structure.
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How much more fuel are you talking about?
Can a set of 18 gallon tanks be fitted to a CC?
That'd give you another 12 gallons.
Or a set of the 30 gallon Atlee Dodge tanks?
That'd give you more than double.

Not cost effective. I recovered a set of ss wings and wanted to add the CubCrafters long range tanks. They quoted north of 10k for the parts. It’s a couple thousand dollar option on the kit planes.


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Here’s A good project tom Make the aux tank part of the seat base for the rear seat seat cushion flips up to fill the tank electric pump pump it up into the wing. Heck even a FS 450 to keep track. I’ll take one please
jim

 
Always plumb aux tank up into top of sight gauge. Then you can see if it’s actually transferring. And you don’t introduce air like the one Diagram someone posted above.


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I've had this outfit build one ferry tank, and a very complicated 3 gallon header tank. The header tank was all tapers....., and beyond my drafting ability apparently, and since I already had a cardboard duct taped mockup, I UPS'd it to them. I marked right on the mockup where I wanted the fittings to go, and how big. 2 weeks later I got the tank, PERFECT. Reasonable price also, under 300 bucks. http://www.rdsaluminum.com/
 
Here’s A good project tom Make the aux tank part of the seat base for the rear seat seat cushion flips up to fill the tank electric pump pump it up into the wing. Heck even a FS 450 to keep track. I’ll take one please
jim


Your EX-3 will have long range tanks though


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Long ago I had an 18 gallon aluminum belly tank project going through the STC process. Never completed it after building three tanks.
I just happen to have a collection of new leftover Facet fuel pumps which are very suitable for fuel transfer. 1/4" npt for the fittings.
If anyone is interested.
 
Always plumb aux tank up into top of sight gauge. Then you can see if it’s actually transferring. And you don’t introduce air like the one Diagram someone posted above.

NEVER transfer fuel during a critical stage of flight.
(in other than straight & level flight, and/or below cruising altitude)
Someone posted a much-discussed video here not long ago after having a mishap involving a fuel transfer & a river.
 
If you plumb it as Mike described, there’s no valves involved (except a check valve between aux and left main). Only a 12 v switch that activates transfer pump.
if fuel is not bubbling in your site gauge during transfer you can assume that you don’t have access to aux fuel and must plan accordingly.
I always pump aux dry as soon as mains will accept it. Then confirm aux is empty with aux sight gauge.
Re earlier referenced "fuel starvation water landing" Not much knowledge to be gained from that as I suspect the pilot either, had no idea how his fuel system worked, or, did not accurately report the circumstances surrounding incident, I suspect both.

Yes, playing with fuel valves during vulnerable phases of flight is a bad idea.
unless the engine has already stopped running :roll:
 
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Anyone have the 11 gallon Stoddard’s drawings? I have the paper work....forwarded to Cub Crafters four years ago...did they do anything with it?


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