A109 Cabin Ferry Tank
 

Does anyone know if there is a modification available to fit a ferry tank within the cabin of an A109A2? The owner flies on his own a lot and needs the ability to stay 'off airport' for as long as possible. The existing machine is fitted with the auxilliary tank and has a fuel capacity of 540KGs; the target capacity would be about 700 to 800 KGs. Currently operated on the 'N' reg. Any help would be appreciated.

J

Though not common for helicopters, there is FAA guidance material for doing such things. They can be approved by STC or other means of approval. It's not as difficult as many think.

If there is a serious desire to do this PM me, I can provide more detailed advice.

Pilot DAR

jelly
ring me you should have said earlier

steve

We had one built for our 109 so we could take part in the London-Sydney air race in 2001. I can't remember how much it held, but it was a steel tank on the back floor, with a tube that ran through a hole in the floor and fed into the left fuel tank via an electric pump. But the 109's AUW limits stopped us from carrying more than full fuel and a toothbrush. Each. Bit rough for 3 weeks away.

it wasn't very successful, the pump fed slower than the engines used it, so the transfer had to be on almost from engine start, but if we turned it on during taxi it overfilled the tank and vented out. Crossfeed was used judiciously to keep both tanks even. The aux tank emptied just before the mains did.

We elected not to take part in the race, ( too many opportunities for things to go wrong, and too many off-race refuels needed) and the tank is probably still sitting in the engineer's hangar in Bankstown, Sydney.:{