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polyethylene fuel tanks?

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gschuld

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 9, 2007
Messages
438
Location
Toms River, New Jersey
I have fuel tank question. I am in the planning stages of a KR-2s build and I am looking into fuel tanks. Most KR builders today prefer to build fuel tanks into the stub wings such as the picture below. This one is a glass in place type and a few have built aluminum tanks.

dec12_97j.jpg


I intend to make the airplane as ethanol blended fuel friendly as possible from the get go. I will likely run 100LL, but I want to be prepared in case ethanol blended fuels become an economic or legislative necessity. So glassed in tank are out. Traditional aircraft aluminum tanks are a possibility, though the off chance of a leaky seam concerns me. I can only assume that cross linked polyethylene molded one piece fuel tanks have made there way into aircraft use. They are virtually leakproof, lightweight, puncture resistant, and impervious to any amount of solvent based fuel additives. They are quickly becoming the standard in OEM auto fuel tanks, marine fuel tanks, racing fuel cells, etc. As an example, below is a Moeller 12 gallon marine fuel tank. One piece anti-slosh fuel tank foam is very common so internal baffeling shouldn't be an issue... right?

5903432.jpg


There are a number of manufactures who will create custom shape tanks from scratch. Virtually any shape and size. Having a pair of custom tanks made will be a bit pricey, but the end result I imagine would be about ideal, yes? If a bit of a sacrifice could be justified, there are some off the shelf models that would fit quite nicely(assuming the fuel fill/sender, etc are placed OK) but would hold a few gallons less overall than a custom set shaped to the wing.

Any thoughts:lick:?
 
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