Thoughts on fuel

[aviator79]

I know this topic has been visited here before, and some feathers even got ruffled over it. Is the current thinking with new fuel tanks from Kitfox still the same? i.e. that ethanol-containing fuels are highly discouraged?

I ask because the nearest place I can get ethanol and lead-free 91+AKI fuel is a 3 hour round trip by car. There is 90 AKI ethanol free that's a 1.5 hour round trip. In either case, I don't save any money vs. burning 100LL/Decalin, even when you factor in the reduced oil change and spark plug intervals.

The only unleaded fuel I can reasonably use would be 10% ethanol. If I could use it, it would save me about $15/hour, and the hassle of oil changes every 25 hours. But obviously it's not worth gumming up my fuel system with a nice epoxy varnish.

[efwd]

I will take this opportunity to quote John McBean. I told him I was fixing to put fuel in and run this thing. I quote, "I am going to go on record and say, just run 100LL from the start. Paul and I have been running it with the Decalin for hundreds of hours without a problem". Down side is of course the more frequent oil changes.

[Rodney]

This may not answer your question, but it might help some.

http://www.motorsportsracingfuels.com/OctaneCalculator.html

I found this octane calculator to help me with the correct ratio of 90 octane ethanol free gasoline (which is what I can get locally). I mix the 90 octane with the recommended amount of 100LL, and that is what I burn when flying from my local field. I use enough 100LL to bring it up to the recommended 93 octane. I went ahead a bought a 100 gallon fuel tank that fits in the back of my pickup. I mix the fuel in it, and then pump it into the airplane.

I don't know about the current fuel tanks, but a friend of mine who bought the first SLSA from Kitfox tried ethanol fuel in his airplane. What a huge mess. It got the fuel tanks, and then that got into the carbs. Oh, and a very expensive mess too as he sent the carbs off to be rebuilt.

My ratio ends up being 70 gallons of 90 octane mixed with 30 gallons of 100LL.

Also, I do enjoy the convenience of pulling my pickup up to the airplane and fueling it without having to hassle with on-field pump. Another proof that I must be getting cranky in my old age, but I'm always #1 at my pump, with no airplanes to wait on and no exam to take before I can get fuel. :D

Regards
Rodney