Fuel-proof floating pellets needed

[Old Koreelah]

Remember the old petrol station pumps had a sight-glass with lots of brightly-coloured plastic beads twirling around? They told you the fuel was flowing thru to your vehicle. On the assumption that they actually floated in the petrol, I could use a pair of these in my sight tubes, so I can see the fuel level. Does anyone know where I can get some?

 

 

[Aerochute Kev]

Have a look at bearperkins.com and click on the link for the catalog. They are called fuel floatees. About $5-$6 each from memory.

 

Kev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

W

 

Have a look at bearperkins.com and click on the link for the catalog. They are called fuel floatees. About $5-$6 each from memory.Kev

Wow Kev, thanks for prompt reply!

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

How frustrating! After years of looking for these pellets, I find them. Spent thirty minutes filling out the online form, but can't see a "checkout" button. Maybe the site is not iPad-friendly. Eventually I got cut loose and had to start again.

 

I'll wait until I get home and use the desktop.

 

 

[Aerochute Kev]

If you have any problems with the order page just send Bear an e-mail at the contact address and tell him what you want. Lots of good stuff there at very competitive prices. Have dealt with Bear before and I doubt you will get better service.

 

Kev

 

 

[turboplanner]

Buy an old petrol pump?

 

 

[rick morawski]

Thanks Kev, I have been looking for these for ages too.

 

Old K, the submit button is way down the bottom.

 

Cheers

 

Rick

 

 

[Dafydd Llewellyn]

I think you will find that the fuel flow rate in your aircraft is too small to show with those pellets, the way it does in a bowser. However, I have successfully used a Rotameter - See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotameter to measure in-flight fuel flows; I made a suitable one with a piece of 25 mm Perspex rod, a tapered reamer (one of the devices sold by Radio Spares etc as a tapered chassis reamer will serve) and a 1/8 inch countersunk-head aluminium rivet. I reamed the hole so that the rivet could just drop right through without jamming, and used some wire mesh (about 1 mm holes) at each end to stop the rivet from escaping. I tapped each end of the piece of Perspex rod to accept a brass hose barb, and soldered the mesh to the threaded end of the barb. I positioned this vertically with the rivet head uppermost, so the flow lifted the rivet.

 

The bore of the perspex after reaming looked opaque - but that disappeared when it was wet with fuel.

 

Of course, if you locate this where you can readily read it, this probably means you will have exposed fuel-system components in the cockpit - not a smart idea; also it's a modification to the fuel system, so it needs formal approval if it's in a certificated aircraft. This is probably the reason you do not normally find this sort of hardware in aircraft.

 

 

[503]

Used for .Fuel level,not fuel flow

 

 

[Dafydd Llewellyn]

Used for .Fuel level,not fuel flow

Ha- why didn't you say so?

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Thanks for that, Dafydd, but like 503 says, it's the fuel level we need to see. My site tubes are in the wing, just visible from where I sit, but next to impossible to see in flight, unless there is a bright plastic bead in the sight tube floating on top of the fuel.

 

Thanks Kev, I have been looking for these for ages too.Old K, the submit button is way down the bottom.

Cheers

 

Rick

I found it, Rick, but it led nowhere. Hours later I received an emailed invoice which I paid. Should have waited to make a bulk order to save postage and handling, which brought the price of three (one spare) pellets to $21 US.