Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Matt Archer on July 4, 2010 at 1:26pm

I just calibrated my fuel gauges and came out at right about 12.2 gal. SO I say 12 is a good number

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Permalink Reply by Tim Garrett on July 4, 2010 at 2:23pm

The 601 XL's originally had 12 gallon tanks, then somewhere after I started building (post 2003) there where 15 gallon tanks. I think all the CH 650's have 15 gallon tanks.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Pustell on July 4, 2010 at 4:40pm

At the time I bought my 601XL kit (2005) the 12 gallon tanks were standard and 15 gallon tanks were an optional upgrade, which I took. I will measure the length of my 15 gallon tanks if you want me too, the extra gallons are in tank length, since they are nested into the wing leading edge, the only way to get extra volume is make it longer. I belive Tim is right when he says that the later planes had 15 gallons as standard. Do not know when that started.

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Permalink Reply by Russell Bell on July 5, 2010 at 8:40am

Thanks Bob that would be good if you wouldn’t mind I am peaty shore mine are the 12Gall but it would be interesting to know how much longer they are for that few gall more

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Permalink Reply by Bob Pustell on July 5, 2010 at 11:54am

Glad to help, Russell -- My metric tape measure was not conveniently available, so I measure it in inches. My fifteen gallon tanks are fifty inches long. I hope this helps you confirm what you have. By the way, back when the early versions were out, the only tank was a 12 gallon tank. The extended range option was to put two 12 gallon tanks in each wing, which doubled the fuel capacity. I bet it made for a rat's nest of plumbing at the fuel selector valve, also. I know there are a few planes out there with the four 12 gallon tank configuration.

At my age (early 60's) I have no interest in being airborne long enough to need 48 gallons of fuel, or even 30 gallons, most of the time. I am actually trying to puzzle out a way to add Cherokee style tabs in the 15 gallon tanks so that I could fill it to the tabs and have a known quantity of fuel, say 10 or 12 gallons, in the tank. I could just use a dipstick, of course, but having a tab in the tank is a nice way to go partial fuel and know just what you have. However, I do not want to mess up my nice factory built tanks in the process of trying to add tabs. We shall see.

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Permalink Reply by Tim Garrett on July 12, 2010 at 5:48pm

I actually have four twelve gallon tanks. The outboard tank fuel lines run through a hollow tube in the inboard tanks and all come together at a 5-way Andair fuel selector http://www.andair.co.uk/system/index.html
The Andair hardware is beautiful and well made - I highly reccomend thier stuff.

It's not as bad as you might imagine. No rat's nest in my plane, anyway. I fly with the outboard tanks empty most of the time. If I'm on a long cross country, I'll consider putting 2 or 4 gallons in the outboards as a reserve tank. I could theoretically fly for 7 hours by myself and no baggage but the most I have done is 3 1/2 hours. Bob is right, the real tank issue is the organic one...

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Permalink Reply by Mike Chekal on July 18, 2013 at 11:17am

Hi Tim,

I know it's been awhile since you posted this, but I was wondering if you could post or send me pictures of your fuel line routing?

I purchased a partially-finished kit from another builder with the four fuel tanks and 5-way andair valve. I am looking for as many tips I can get on fuel line routing since there arent many details in the drawings.

Thanks,

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Dan Dempsey on July 18, 2013 at 7:25pm

I have the same setup that Tim described.

http://daniel.dempseyfamily.us/zodiac/fuel/fuellines.htm

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