Sport Pilot Talk

3Dreaming wrote:I'm proud of you. That is the first time I can remember you using "Cecil", and "Nice" in the same post.

That just proves that we all mellow with age.

drseti wrote:

3Dreaming wrote:I'm proud of you. That is the first time I can remember you using "Cecil", and "Nice" in the same post.

That just proves that we all mellow with age.

I don't recall anyone here using Cecil and nice in the same post. But, he did have a nice fuel trailer.

Jim Hardin wrote:Shawn, is that an AN nail?

Well of course it is, it's a AN-10 penny nail that is cadmium plated and meets ASTM standards per the FAA. And just to be safe I got a LOA to use it on my SportCruiser.

Well, OSHA will still get you for that pointed sharp end so you are not out of the woods yet.

TimTaylor wrote:If I owned an airplane that burned auto fuel, I would look into building a fuel trailer with on-board fuel pump, etc. That is, if I lived someone that you could keep such a device. Cecil Koupal, a former poster, had a really nice one to fuel his Flight Design CTLS.

Oh that would be the cats meow Tim but of course my public use, federal funded airport has strict fire regulations on storing fuel in our hangars. Other than in the plane of course.

A friend of mine in North Florida has exactly what you described but he lives in a private airpark so he's free to do what he wants. He has 3 aircraft and has a 200 gallon custom made aluminum tank on a trailer with an electric pump and flow meter. He tows it around his property with his Gator. When it's time to fill it he tows it up to Southern Georgia to get his ethanol free fuel.

I simply wanted one of these but since it "stores fuel" it's not allowed in my hangar.

I would store it at home. Haul it to the airport behind my car and fuel my airplane when I landed. On the way home from the airport, fill it up again. I would want a small tank that only held approximately the same as my airplane to keep the fuel fresh. A SkyCatcher holds 24 gallons, so that is what I would want as far as tank capacity. It could actually be as small as 18 gallons because I would never allow the plane to get below 6 gallons.

TimTaylor wrote:I would store it at home. Haul it to the airport behind my car and fuel my airplane when I landed. On the way home from the airport, fill it up again. I would want a small tank that only held approximately the same as my airplane to keep the fuel fresh. A SkyCatcher holds 24 gallons, so that is what I would want as far as tank capacity. It could actually be as small as 18 gallons because I would never allow the plane to get below 6 gallons.

I guess it might make sense for the fuel trailer to have twice the capacity of your airplane. That way, you could fill the airplane before flight, in case you had to leave it empty last time, then fill the plane again after flight. So, 50 gallons would be a good size if I owned a SkyCatcher.

I use 3 x 5 gallon plastic fuel cans from Walmart and a smaller 2gallon can to refuel my RV-12s 20 gallon tank.
I bought three alternative gas can caps which came in an $11 kit from Tractor Supply, which included vent caps, which can be inserted in can to improve flow, and a couple of long filler hoses. These work well to bypass the overly engineered gas caps that come with cans in most stores.
I ground the airplane, touch the fuselage before fueling, and can pour 5 gallons in easily in about 40 seconds. The smaller can helps to top off without spilling.

I routinely carry the gas cans in the back of my truck and fill up to/from airfield at either Sams Club or my nearby Loves, which lately had premium E10 for $2.14.
I usually leave the airplane full at the hangar and refill after flight, so after two hours it’s just a couple of minutes to put in just under 10 gallons. I then refill cans either on way home or on the way to airfield next time.
If I don’t get to fly for three weeks I usually put the fuel I have into truck and buy fresh fuel.

The last time I heard of Cecil Koupal he was arguing with someone on another site and was claiming he had an instrument “rating “ and therefore knew better. He was getting vigorously rebuffed by those that really did have an IR and knew that poor old Cecil just didn’t know what he was talking about. After finally admitting his “instrument rating” was actually just some hood time, he vanished. Funny ole world.

Most states have laws prohibiting carrying more than XX number of gallons of auto fuel (Diesel is Different) externally (Not OEM) in a vehicle. I’m toying with getting a tank for the back of my pickup with an electric transfer pump, but both NY and PA prohibit carrying or towing a tank of auto gas. A couple of 5 gallon cans is all that’s permitted.

I could get a low tank that fits under my Back Flip bed cover and conceal the whole thing. It’s a work and decision in progress.

Towing a smal fuel trailer, placarded or not, is definitely not permitted. For now it’s 5 gallon cans.

https://www.amazon.com/Tuff-Jug-TJ1R-Ga ... +jug+5+gal

Can't spill and shuts on and off when you lift it up. I have 4.

3Dreaming wrote:
I'm proud of you. That is the first time I can remember you using "Cecil", and "Nice" in the same post.

Off topic, I know, but has anyone heard from or about Mr. Koupal recently? After brief stints in the Light Sport and Cirrus worlds, he seems to have effectively vanished.

If it’s inappropriate for discussion, please PM me, I’m genuinely curious.

There are several companies that make a fuel transfer cart like the Redneck. All vary as far as quality control goes for the hand pump. I've read ALL the reviews, from the $140 to $400 carts. I'm surprised no one offers one with an electric pump, seems you need to buy the cart and add the electric pump afterwards. You still have to carry 5 gallon cans to fill up the cart, even with the pick up truck, one cant easily unload a full cart off the PU bed.

My Sling holds 19 gallons a side, with the hand pump, thats 12 revolutions per gallon = 228 turns x 2 = 456 turns. NO WAY....

FastEddieB wrote:has anyone heard from or about Mr. Koupal recently? After brief stints in the Light Sport and Cirrus worlds, he seems to have effectively vanished.

He's completely off my radar, Eddie. I hope he hasn't gone the way of Daniel Bernath.

roger lee wrote:https://www.amazon.com/Tuff-Jug-TJ1R-Ga ... +jug+5+gal

Can't spill and shuts on and off when you lift it up. I have 4.

I have two of these and found they’re no good fueling an RV-12 as fuel backs up the filler pipe and spills out, which damages the rear ‘windshield’/‘perspex’.

drseti wrote:

FastEddieB wrote:has anyone heard from or about Mr. Koupal recently? After brief stints in the Light Sport and Cirrus worlds, he seems to have effectively vanished.

He's completely off my radar, Eddie. I hope he hasn't gone the way of Daniel Bernath.

No, he's still posting his disgusting blog.

But yes, state laws vary, so make sure you understand your's before you start building a trailer or pick-up bed fuel tank system.