206B3 fuel capacity

[Cirrusly]

Hi,

Does anyone know the fuel capacity of the B3 with range extender fitted? I've been looking all over the manual and it says nothing! It also fails to mention the engine oil quantity, which I find a little disturbing. And while i'm on it, does anyone know the VNE for autorotation with standard floats?

Cheers

[Chopper Doc]

Look in the Rolls Royce book for Engine oil quantity. If there is a sight glass on the oil tank ignore it and use the dipstick on the lid of the oil tank. Maximum airspeed is 87 knots for autos with skids. This is in the flight manual supplement.
Range extender? Is this a Bell STC?

[Evil Twin]

91 US Gallons

[Aesir]

96.7 USG with Range extender on BII.

91 USG on BIII ( I dont think a Range extender is avaialable for BIII with 91 gallon tank??).

[Ascend Charlie]

Depends what year it was built. The standard tank was designed for 75 gal, and that's all the gauge shows.

Then the extender was fitted (it will be a Supplement to the manual, fitted after construction) and the gauge will often still only show 75 gal - wait till you have flown for 50 mins or so and it starts to register.

Or, get a new gauge which shows fuel to 91 gal.

Machines built after about 1998 have the filler cap moved up the fuselage a bit, so the tank will hold the lot without the exterior add-on, and the gauge goes to 91 gal.

[What Limits]

We have a B3 with the fuel tank hole moved up a bit. 91 us gallons usable, 92.6 total (with unusable)

[206 jock]

The BIII production up to serial no 35xx (can't remember where I read this) was the old 75G tank (suitable for the extender), after that the 91G tank was fitted, along with a few other minor 'upgrades' .

[2leftskids]

From memory the later model B3 with the high fill point didn't quite hold as much as a low fill with range extender fitted. The low fill held 288 litres and with range extender fitted it went up to 366 Litres. The high fill was slightly less at somewhere in the 350's.

[Jet Ranger]

We have one with 96.7 USG (year of production early -80st, small pipe outside). Another (1990.) is 91 USG.

JR

[SASless]

Does One not have a RFM with the appropriate Supplements?

[Aesir]

It also fails to mention the engine oil quantity, which I find a little disturbing.

It´s 5.5 quarts or 5.2ltr ;)

Are you converting to turbines from Piston? It´s normally not a issue on turbines how much oil they hold, they usually don´t burn any or veryvery little needs to be added.

BIII s/n 3562 and subsequent have the 91USG tank and I´m pretty sure a range extender cannot be fitted. It would be pretty useless anyway since you could only get some 5.0 USG more into the tank.

[FH1100 Pilot]

From the 206B3 RFM:


Maximum airspeed for steady stateautorotation -100 mph {87 knots).

[John Eacott]

Hi,

Does anyone know the fuel capacity of the B3 with range extender fitted? I've been looking all over the manual and it says nothing!

That's because it isn't a Bell part. Look in the Flight Manual supplement: it comes from the range extender manufacturer via an STC and is 96.7usg.

Background to the range extender was Bell's production of the original 206 with a substantial air space in the tank which couldn't be used for fuel as the filler was too low, limiting the fill to ~70usg. When the first range extender by Aeronautical Accessories was produced Bell were Not Impressed, claiming that putting more fuel into the tank would become an issue in the event of an accident or claim since the tank wasn't stressed for a full fill.

Now Bell produce the 206 with a higher fill cap and everyone's happy, which makes one wonder about the hysteria back 30-40 years ago :hmm:

It also fails to mention the engine oil quantity, which I find a little disturbing.

Nothing disturbing in that, but the quantity will usually be in the Maintenance Manual: 5 litres springs to mind.

And while i'm on it, does anyone know the VNE for autorotation with standard floats?

Look in the BHT-206B3-FMS-8 for all stuff to do with fixed floats. Page 4, Engine Failure - maximum speed for steady state autorotation - 100mph (87 knots).

[mickjoebill]

Is the extender a bladder?


Mickjoebill

[Arm out the window]

It's just an external pipe with a 90 degree bend attached to the filling point and extending up a few inches, allowing you to fill further than if you'd been pumping straight into the original fill hole. The fuel cap sits horizontally on top of the bendy pipe.

[John Eacott]

What AOTW says:

http://www.aero-access.com/images/Bell206SeriesOH58RangeExtenderreg3bLockingFuelCap.image.jpeg ?size=0&width=450&mid=03afdbd66e7929b125f8597834fa83a4

[Kelly Hopper]

RANGE Extender for Jetranger | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RANGE-Extender-for-Jetranger-/151035503155?pt=UK_CPV_Aviation_SM&hash=item232a6ae233)

[krypton_john]

600 quid for an L-bend. Gotta love the aircraft industry!

[CYHeli]

And before anyone asks, the perpex panel on the front enables a pilot to look back over his/her shoulder and make a visual inspection of the amount of fuel in the extender and therefore the amount beyond the 75 gal.
In flight.
Yeah right.....

[John Eacott]

CY,

To be fair, it does actually work that way ;)

And the new price from AA is about $US1600 :hmm:

[Savoia]

To be fair, it does actually work that way.

Agreed.

From times past I recall that one can in fact glance back and obtain an indication although, I'll be the first to admit, the arrangement is a little "Heath Robinsonish!"

[Brilliant Stuff]

But it's very simple, what's not to like?

[krypton_john]

It's an ugly carbuncle on an otherwise beautiful ship, and should have been thought through properly in the first place.

[RVDT]

and should have been thought through properly in the first place

It probably was when it had a C-18 in it and not a 20B/J (as appropriate) which uses more fuel.

The "L" model had a shorter version.

Who remembers the removable extender that just clipped on where the standard cap went as required rather than the AA unit which bolted on?

Worked great on the 205/212 as well but that is another story!