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RV-7 N8ZG
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Contact Info

Neal George
Home:
334-262-8993
Cell:
334-546-2033
neal at appaero.com

Builder Assistance

AppAero is now offering limited builder assistance services.  Our FAA-licensed A&P Mechanic will be happy to build and seal your pre-punched RV fuel tanks, or build your leading edges, tail surfaces, ailerons or flaps.  We simply do not have the physical space to take on larger projects.  Call Neal to discuss options, lead time, procedures and cost.

Here are few photos of the tanks I built for Gene McNeely's RV-8.

Here's the inboard bay of the left tank.  In the T-6, Gene flies all his aerobatics on the left tank.  To keep things consistent, I put the flop tube for the RV-8 on the left.  This shot shows the connections for the flop tube, the anti-snag stand-off, vent tube and BNC fittings.    

Here's the outboard rib of the left tank inboard bay.  The flapper door hinge pin is retained with a dab of sealant.  If it comes loose, the rear baffle will prevent it backing out.  A dab of sealant on the fittings to supplement the joint torque may not add any reliability, but it makes me feel better.

A scrap of stiffener angle makes an adequate anti-snag device.  You can also see the anti-rotation bracket on the forward end of the pick-up tube.  The bracket prevents the bulkhead fitting from rotating in its mounting hole and loosening the bulkhead nut.  The flare-nut on the forward end of the flop tube slips into a slot in the bracket, preventing it from backing off the bulkhead fitting.

Here are the fuel sender capacitor plates.  It's tough to see in these photos, but I used nutplates and socket-head cap screws to connect the wires, rather than the Phillips screw & loose nut called for in the plans.  It was much easier to install in the tight spaces of the riveted tank.

Here's a shot of the inboard end of the left tank, just before installing the rear baffle.  The two rivets near the forward attach angle hold the anti-rotation bracket in place inside the tank.  The access panel is secured with sealant only - no cork gasket.  I used socket-head screws here as well.  If the access panel ever needs to come off, the #2 Phillips pan-head screws called for in the plans are very likely to strip out and require drilling. 

And finally, the tanks all snug in the crate, just before screwing the lid on.  The finished product tipped the scales at 80 pounds.  FedEx from Montgomery, AL, to Daytona Beach, FL, was $50 (June 2005).

visitors since June 2005