Fuel Balancing

[LRF]

I have reviewed the previous discussions on this, but haven't seen anyone with my problem I have a ragwing with the original tanks (2 right and 1 left) and a single gooseneck vent. I received my private license in Sept '05, bought this plane at that time and have put about 85 hrs on her since. I always, repeat always, fly on "both". The two sides rarely pull equally, but they are generally reasonably close. The guages are actually fairly representative.

On one occassion however, while on "both", I had the right tanks provide all the fuel while the left side provided none. I am verifying by strap - not by guage. After letting sit overnight, and still on "both", the left tank was still full - in other words they didn't equalize. I assumed I had a debris problem, but the problem switched in reverse (right tanks staying full) on a later trip. At this point I assumed, although with concern, that the fuel switch was sensitive to its exact positioning.

Everything went back to normal until the above actually happened a second time on a round trip. The left burned fuel out and right burned fuel back. I fueled up at my destination airport and intentionally never adjusted the fuel switch (which was on "both") to take that factor out of the equation. I had about a 25 - 35 mph quartering crosswind at altitude on that trip. Could that be a factor on venting? Doesn't explain the unequal tanks overnight though. Am I confused - shouldn't the tanks equalize.

Thank you for your help.

[cessna170bdriver]

...I had about a 25 - 35 mph quartering crosswind at altitude on that trip. Could that be a factor on venting? Doesn't explain the unequal tanks overnight though.

I'm sorry I don't have any ideas about your tank problem, other than it isn't a crosswind while airborne. If you have the ball centered, the relative wind is parallel to the long axis of the airplane, regardless of what your track over the ground is.

Miles

[mrpibb]

As a owner of a ragwing, I came across the problem on long trips. and it was usually burned out of the left tank when I flew from jersey to NH and then the right on the return trip. The winds usually blow from the north west so I figured it was due to flight attitude. So what I do on trips now is burn from the right tank untill I'm about one hour from my destination then switch to both. As for fuel crossfeed when parked, It will not if parked level and your fuel is at 3/4 or below. you have to remember our fuel lines on the 48 are plumed differently then the later models, they run foward and enter at the foward door post/bulkhead area, so in a three point attitude the fuel line is at one point higher than the fuel level, That's why we have the fuel pump to prevent fuel starvation at prolonged high angles of attack and unusual attititudes (which kinda describes my flying ) .

see here http://sandhillaviation.com/fuelsys.pdf

[LRF]

Thanks for the help...it all makes since. MRPIBB, do you have more than one vent for your tanks and is it a concern to you? That's a good looking plane by your picture. I notice you appear to have a little dihedral to your wings. Mine is the same way.

[GAHorn]

Hey, Larry!
Do you live at Arcola? Where do you keep your plane?