Fuel Saver
If I could tell you how to get 6.2% more flying out of each dollar that you spend for model fuel, would you be interested? I'm sure if I had told you I could give you 6.2% better gas mileage with your present car (and cost you nothing to do it), you would sit up and take notice. Gas for your car is around $1.00 a gallon while our model fuels start at $10.00 a gallon.
The price of gasoline may be dropping at your local pump, but so far there doesn't seem to be any methanol/nitro glut. This simple, why-didn't-I-think-of-it solution can keep your hard-earned bucks from ending up on the ground.
All of these facts are already known, so how do you get 6.2% more flying for nothing? Simple: stop wasting it. But you say that you burn every drop in the tank and drain every gallon container until the sides collapse. Have you ever thought about how much you spill when the tank is full and the overflow line is dumping that precious liquid on the ground?
Let's assume the average modeler has an 8-oz. fuel tank in his weekend warrior. If he is careful and stops the fuel pump as soon as the tank is full, he will lose 1/2 to 3/4 oz. of fuel that flows out the vent tube. Some modelers may lose even more. We all know that each gallon contains 128 oz. If we burn 8 oz. per flight, we should get 16 flights per gallon.
But filling the tank 16 times with a 1/2-oz. loss equals 8 oz. (one full tank) per gallon. I suggest that you add a return line from your vent tube to the fuel can to catch that overflow. In just one gallon you get enough fuel for another flight — and you eliminate those spills in the pit area. When the tank is full, the overflow will pour back into the can; you can hear or see it through clear fuel line.
Another advantage is that you can completely fill the tank by continuing to pump while tilting the plane until all the air bubbles stop coming from the vent line.
I use a small-diameter return line with my Six Shooter. The air will easily pass through the return line as the tank is being filled, but as soon as the fuel starts to flow down the return line, the Six Shooter takes more pressure to turn — an additional indication of a full tank. Three turns of reverse crank, and the excess pressure is relieved. At this point the fuel lines are disconnected without a drop being spilled.
You wouldn't pour a gallon of gasoline on the ground every time you fill up your car, would you?
— Ron Bullard
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
