Hangar Refueling Station

[SkySteve]

I found an ethanol-free gas station close to my home airport, so decided to build a refueling station for my hangar. It will roll up to the back of my pickup truck so I can fill the drum at the gas station then unload the filled drum onto the stand. The bottom of the drum portion of the stand is the same height as the truck tailgate making transfer of the full drum from the truck to the stand easy. (I can't move a 55 gal drum full of fuel so I use a 35 gal drum). The front arm of the fuel stand is hinged so it opens to load the drum, then closes and latches to secure the drum on the stand. I added feet to the bottom (adding one foot of width to the stand) then installed castering rubber wheels making the stand very stable and easy to move about the hangar. Using a 2 or 3 step ladder it is easy to refuel the plane's wing tanks.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff12/KitfoxSteve/5456451B-9CF8-4EE4-872F-B068D6749BE1-13311-000016D50EA53B29.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff12/KitfoxSteve/D254C5FF-BA29-41EF-9A3F-E5184D104FA6-13311-000016D54AA9082B.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff12/KitfoxSteve/3BCE0683-0806-4A7E-89CD-A959B988B0A4-13311-000016D57DDC736F.jpg

[DesertFox4]

Your fuel stand looks good and strong Steve. Nice job. Hope it makes your Kitfoxing even more enjoyable.

Congrats on the corn sqweezin-free gas find too. It doesn't exist here. Also we can't store fuel in our hangars due to, well, you know.
Huge government.

[Lion8]

If I may offer an additional suggestion. Install a ground strap from the frame to the ground. Relieve static charge. Lot of gas. Once it gets a static spark jump, there is no putting it out. - Lion8

[SkySteve]

Lion8. Good call. Will add a grounding strap. Any idea what I should use?

[Dave F]

Plastic tank = static source in a huge way. especially if you are moving it around.
You need to ground the fuel asw the static charge will build up in hte fuel itself.

Be careful.

[SkySteve]

Dave, are you suggesting I somehow ground the fuel pump to the stand to the ground? Or should I scrap the whole idea of having a fuel supply in my hangar?

[jamesmil]

this is the fuel system we put together to refuel with, we load the 5 gal gas cans in the back of the pickup truck and go to the station and fill them and then use the big funnel to pour the gas into the tank with the pump on it and then pump in to the plane. we ground thru the ac power system using the ground in the wall plug thru the drop cord with the aircraft ground to the pump housing.

[SkySteve]

Jamesmil,
That's pretty much what I'm replacing. Trying to make fewer trips to the gas station. I've just never grounded mine. I will now.

[Lion8]

As far as 'ground straps', a piece of bare copper wire, solid or stranded, with steel alligator clips at each end will work as a ground. A friend and I travel to get 300 gal. each year in a farm type fuel tank. It is on a big landscape trailer. The entire rig is not grounded. The gas station is supposed to have a woven metal liner inside the hose to act as a ground, but I can't see it so we use ground straps above at the gas station from metal tank to a metal part of the fuel pump.
I have this rule that NO REFUELING EVER takes place inside the hanger. If a fire ever started, you can never put it out and everything is a total loss. Just a recommendation. -Lion8

[Dave S]

FYI....this one; which happened today, is possibly fuel-handling-in-the-hangar related.....

http://mendotaheights.patch.com/articles/fire-breaks-out-at-fleming-field-hangar

Dave S
St Paul, MN

[SkySteve]

Great Balls Of Fire!!

You guys must think I'm completely nuts!

It's OK, come on out and say it. Don't hold back.

[Esser]

I don't think you are nuts Steve. Just take the proper safety precautions and enjoy fuel at your hangar. When I get to the point where I am flying I will install a tidy tank in my truck.

[Av8r3400]

99% of the time a 5-gallon can (or two) is just fine.

[SkySteve]

Still trying to make this work. Here are the new additions:
1. Grounded the fuel pump to the steel frame (self tapping screw and jumper cable clamp).
2. Grounded the frame to the ground with dragger chain (self tapping screws in two places).
3. Grounding cable with jumper cable clamp (self tapping screw to frame) to clamp to airplane exhaust.
4. Covered pump nozzle with poly pipe so metal nozzle cannot touch metal wing fuel tank neck.
5. New Rule: Move plane outside of hangar, roll fuel station out of hangar, attach ground cable to exhaust pipe, pump fuel into wing tanks.

Goal: Convenience, Cost savings & Safety.

So, what do you think? Am I good to go or am I still missing something?


Upgraded Fuel Station:
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff12/KitfoxSteve/AA3C96D0-CBD1-4803-A9D4-6D53A3EF0135-15797-00001AE11E5BD812.jpg

Pump Grounded to Frame:
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff12/KitfoxSteve/62C5A4F2-897A-4A75-B295-DB3F6AF53138-15797-00001AE14D184702.jpg

Grounding Chain to Frame & Airplane Exhaust Cable:
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff12/KitfoxSteve/216CB24E-1474-46D8-BBAA-4ADAC8FBD55F-15797-00001AE18BF60300.jpg

Poly Cover for Pump Nozzle:
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff12/KitfoxSteve/35E3781A-6C7E-4374-9A6E-5F46CA42FBD3-15797-00001AE1B973D9C6.jpg

[Av8r3400]

I may be wrong, but I think covering the metal nozzle might not be the proper thing to do.

Gas station and aircraft fueling nozzles are uncovered. ??

[SkySteve]

Good point. Easily fixed with the old pocket knife.

[Dave S]

Steve,

I think with the mods (good grounding) and your procedures (outside) you are better off than most for hangar refueling.:)

I have to admit that I have from time to time (snow or rain situations) fueled the plane with gas cans inside the hangar rather than outside....reformed sinner, you see......:o

Av8R3400's comment about the bare nozzle is right on. The Kitfox fuel cap ring is not grounded to the aircraft frame unless steps have been taken in building to make it so...the solution here is keeping the bare nozzle in constant contact with the fuel cap ring while fuel is flowing.....:cool:

Sincerely,

Dave S

[Lion8]

Photos are great Steve. Looks like you got it covered. If the chain gets dirty, grease covered or rusty, just make sure you have good continuity. Many years ago as a kid I remember cars had a braided wire attached to the back bumper that drug on the ground to relieve the static charge build up as it rolled down the highway. This is what I had in mind. I need one of those on this velour easy chair I'm sitting in right now. When ever I slide off this chair and touch the laptop screen -WOW, what a shock, 4kv right out of my fingertips. -Lion8

[SkySteve]

Yes, I too remember cars dragging those straps around!

Thanks for all the help. I feel SO safe now. Don't know how I made it all these years pouring gas from steel and plastic containers into cars, trucks, tractors, swathers, lawn mowers, chain saws, etc without blowing myself up.

[kitfox2009]

Hi Steve
I have been using a similar unit for the past 2 years,only mine is a standard 200 liter (50USG) fuel drum. My rolling platform is a former heavy machine carrier c/w about 8 inch solid rubber wheels. It is the same height as my pickup bed therefore is easy to slide even with 150 liters of fuel in it.
I have been grounding to the fuel tank filler lip but will now change to the exhaust. I drag a ground strap that is attached to the pump/drum. I also have a filter/water separator attached to the hand pump.
I ALWAYS fill on the ramp well away from the hanger. I use "marked unleaded fuel" for non road use obtained from our local bulk plant. To date it is ethanol free but that may change next year.
So far it works great. Much easier than Jerry cans!
I will take some photos next time I fill up.
Cheers
Don

[SkySteve]

Yes Don. Please take some photos. I would really like to see your set up.