composite fuel tank vs aluminum tank

[drake]

I need to build some tanks for my cub type bush plane. The wing is all graphite with a tank shelf for tank to sit, it will hold 23 gal. approx. and the top of the tank will be the tp surface of that portion of the wing,( to save the weight of a cover). What is gonna be the lightest end result realistically as weight is my primary concern?

[Joe Kidd]

You've almost got a wet wing set up with what your doing which would end up as the lightest. Baffles, plumbing and vents of course have to go in and if its gravity feed a gas collator.
If this option isn’t suitable an aluminum tank bent into shape, pop riveted and sealed is both light weight and inexpensive. This is the type of tank I’ll be building for myself as good sealants unaffected by alcohol gas mixtures are available.

[Kmccune]

I just went round and round about this my self. I had located a guys who makes HDPE tanks. But I will be bending and riveting the tanks. I knew about proseal, but I had never heard of closed end blind rivets. That was why I was worried about riveting a tank, I thought you had to seal the rivets them selves. Of course you still have to seal around the rivet, but you would expect that.

Close End Blind Rivets - Hansonrivet.com

If you want I can email the guys contact ifno for the HDPE tanks.

Kevin

[drake]

The info on the hdpe tank would be appreciated, i wonder if they would end up heavier? I will probably end up building a composite and a aluminum tank and see which one is lighter. Why dont you just tig weld the tanks instead of using rivets, Excluding the baffles?

[Kmccune]

I don't have a TIG welder and I don't care to buy one for two tanks.

Kevin

[LGM]

Some guys on the KRNet list are talking about this stuff. It's an aluminum gas welding rod thats supposed to be as easy to use as solder. It doesn't require anything other than a torch and some practice. Several of the guys were really up on the stuff. You might check it out & see if it'll do what you need. Dura Fix Aluminum Welding Aluminum Brazing Aluminum Soldering & Repair Rod

Good luck,

L.G.M.

[rotorexec]

There's another website called Alumaloy, which is the welding rod approach. I have a '68 Corvette with a 4-speed quadramatic tranny. When i sent the tranny for overhaul a few years ago, the shop cracked the lineup pin ear on the housing. When I went to put the tranny in the lineup ear broke off. I saw an infomercial on the cable which actually showed a repair like mine. I formed the lineup ear like the infomercial indicated and filled in the area using only the rods supplied. I shaped it like oem and drilled out the lineup pin hole. Its been like that now for 5 years and still holding strong.
If you need a composite or poly wing tank, check out the Quicksilver website. There are many tanks you can retrofit to do the job and not have anymore worries. And they're inexpensive. The tanks are already setup for high winged planes. Check out the site......Chuck.

[Kmccune]

OK I'm at that point, do you have info on the sealants?

Kevin

You've almost got a wet wing set up with what your doing which would end up as the lightest. Baffles, plumbing and vents of course have to go in and if its gravity feed a gas collator.
If this option isn’t suitable an aluminum tank bent into shape, pop riveted and sealed is both light weight and inexpensive. This is the type of tank I’ll be building for myself as good sealants unaffected by alcohol gas mixtures are available.

[bmcj]

If you need a composite or poly wing tank, check out the Quicksilver website. There are many tanks you can retrofit to do the job and not have anymore worries. And they're inexpensive. The tanks are already setup for high winged planes. Check out the site......Chuck.

Would that be the Quicksilver ultralight manufacturer?