Originally Posted by
Virtually There
Thought my drum fueling days were over, but alas . . .
If you are using a hand pump, the most important thing to remember is you may need to wind the handle quickly, initially, to prime the pump. In some cases (especially when a drum is half-empty and gravity is not assisting as much as it does with a full tank), winding slowly may not prime and hence you may think the pump is broken when it's not.
Make sure to wind in the right direction! (Usually clockwise)
Many hand pumps deliver a standard 1 litre per turn – check the pump to see how much each turn delivers so you can calculate how much to pump into each wing (saves having to remove the spike to check the barrel with a torch). When using an electric pump, time how long it takes to empty half a drum (or whatever volume) so you have a reference point next time for how fast it fills.
There is talk of putting blocks under bungs to prevent any water/scale/rust from being pumped from the bottom of the drum in the first instance. It would be much better to simply pump the first litre or two into bucket for inspection before you start refuelling the plane. If you don't have a bucket, pump a couple of litres on to the ground and observe the colour as you're pumping. The pump should also have an inspection window near the filter so you can see the colour.
Drums should be sealed and dated, and in good condition (no dents, especially near the seams) – if not, be wary.
Carry a pair of pliers with you in case the drum wrench goes missing – you can use them to remove the seal and open each bung.
Originally Posted by
ShyTorque
During my RAF days it was by no means uncommon during tasking with the army to self refuel our helicopters with AVTUR from drums. The drums had to be allowed to stand for at least an hour after delivery so that any water or debris would settle. We then had to draw a sample using a tube that reached the bottom of the drum and use a test capsule on a syringe to confirm it wasn’t water. The capsule would turn blue if contaminated, remaining clear was good. I also discovered that it was possible to look down to the bottom of the drum using my flameproof torch where any water or debris could be easily seen. It was by no means unusual to see a small puddle of water.
We carried an electric pump which sat on top of the two inch bore aluminium suction tube, powered by the aircraft battery. The tube pickup assembly had a rubber buffer at the lower end and it was designed to leave a small amount of fuel behind, along with anything undesirable sitting at the bottom. It came on a tubular aluminium frame which held a filter. It was a fairly large piece of kit and we had to deliver it to the refuel point at the start of the tasking day. I often went back to base stinking of jet fuel; I don’t recall being supplied with protective gloves or anything else.
Thanks for that. I'm not a pilot so it's hard to get firsthand perspective from experience without asking for it of course, particularly on something niche like this that not even many pilots may have experienced. I've got a little experience in some niche areas like that myself, just not this one.... yet. I've set a number of land speed records though while running my last business that built standalone ECUs for race cars. That was fun, still have the car. Then I started boating a lot and came up with a motorized fuel caddy idea for fueling my boat at my dock and saving time and money versus going to the marina - I brought it to market, and then created an Aviation Edition of the same thing which a lot of GA pilots (lots of airpark residents) love as well as maintenance facilities for defueling/refueling/etc, and flight schools, aviation maintenance training schools, etc -- which is why I'm trying to learn more about what you guys do to see if it would be beneficial to you too.
This is what we've got going, Pilot John International had me up to their site to make this video. Interested in hearing your thoughts. This is our original 50 gallon model. We have a 70 gallon model now. And another larger (110 gal) in testing/development now.
They're somewhat overbuilt for the terrain most would encounter in aviation I suspect. They'll go darn near anywhere off road over rough terrain, which is probably less commonly needed in aviation than it in when fueling a boat down a steep shoreline, which is what the platform was originally designed for. They're rechargeable and the drivetrain and fuel pump share the same batteries, with a switch between the two so they can't both be active at the same time. The disc brakes are strong and easily manage the load even on steep hills and ramps. So yeah, some of those features are a little overkill in some circumstances. But the flight schools, maintenance shops, and GA pilots that have them here all love them just for being easy to move around the hangar and to fuel their plane.
My thought for those drum fueling now in remote locations is you don't have to muscle those drums around. Transfer the fuel to the motorized caddy/bowser and then you can store it or move it anywhere you need. The curtis valve in the bottom makes it easy to sample/test the fuel, and the waterstop filter provides another layer of protection. There's a bonding reel as well, and flowmeter to measure how much fuel you've pumped, and to make it easy to know how much is left in the tank.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on what we've done, and what we should consider. Thanks for your time!