Is anybody aware whether somebody somewhere applied for (and received) an STC for a P210 ferry tank installation? If yes, could you please post or PM the contact of the author or issuing authority or any other details, which will help me to track it down?
I understand that EASA can now do some “quick and easy” procedure for one-off modifications needed for e.g. setting records – but this will result in a special permit to fly, which is of little use outside Europe – so not an option for RTW.
@pilot_dar might know.
It’s the aftermath of a ferry tank that bothered me, Some years back I was asked to take a look at a Cessna 421 that had been ferried from the USA.
After engine ground runs there was a strong smell of fuel in the cabin , the investigation revealed that the two pipes used to attach the ferry tanks into the fuel system had been crimped and rolled over just like a toothpaste tube rather than blanking off the union located about 6 inches away. I doubt two blanking fittings would have cost more than $5 and yet people do this sort of thing.
Now any aircraft that has had a ferry tank fitted gets a very careful inspection to check the fuel system has been restored to standard.
I would love to add a small extra fuel tank to my PA28 -181. Even 40 litres would really help as I would like to do some flying in Africa and the extra hour endurance really helps with all sorts of legs.
Is anybody aware of any EASA STC for any Turtle-pac or any sort of metal tank?
Thanks!
Does anyone know what material (glue and patch) could be used for repair a Turtle Pac please?
I have used the Turtle Pac several times for flying in Africa but did not bother to get an EASA STC. I did get the insurance company to insure the aircraft with the Turtle Pac installed without the STC and got that on paper. I tried to figure out how to get it installed properly but these ferry permits are hard to get in EASA land.
It would be unwise to attempt an unapproved repair of a Turtle Pac tank. I believe that they are thermally welded, rather than glued. If there is a leak for which a repair is needed, that leak would probably reoccur (at the most inconvenient time) as the glue was softened by the fuel.
Though Turtle Pac tanks are excellent, and I highly recommend them, they are too new in concept to meet the generally recognized standards for ferry tanks, and therefor difficult to STC into aircraft. They can be flown on flight permits, if the local authority is agreeable, and I have done this. Be aware that the point in the aircraft fuel system into which the ferry fuel is introduced is pretty important for safety, and there are design standards for this. Usually for GA aircraft, the more convenient place to connect into the fuel system is the less safe place for the fuel to enter. Fuel should be pumped into the vent space of one or more airframe fuel tanks.
I am checking the TurtlePac 25 for a journey through Russia with navigations of 4 hours into the wild (and even over water for some parts). I have a DR-400 with an extra tank, that makes 110L (100L usable) and 50L extra, total is 150L usable. The TurtlePac gives an extra 94L, that’s plenty for what I need.
The questions are :
- Is that legal (apparently there is no STC, so it’s not official, so not really legal, but maybe within tollerance, I’ll ask my insurance company about it)
- How do you safely mount it ? I am not talking about the actual tank, using the seatbelt, but the intake : how do you connect the tank to the other tanks ?
On my DR-400, the secondary tank is connected to the primary via a valve, the secondary tank empties itself with gravity to the primary tank. The Turtle Pac would need to either empty into the primary or secondary tank. Has anybody got any experience or comments on this ?
Thanks for your help
The TurtlePac can be connected to the fuel line going to the tank in e.g. the right wing. Then you start taking fuel from the right wing on your flight and as soon as some of that is gone, you switch to the left tank and start filling the right tank again with the fuel from the TurtlePac. I have flown this way through Africa and could not get an STC for it, but the insurance company (on paper) included it in the insurance. Technically, it is not legal.
OK, I understand, but with a DR-400, there is no window to open and have the pipe go through. The tanks are not on the wings but at the rear of the plane. It does not seem to be easy to setup. I think I will have the tank inside, and if needed, we can land and then pump the fuel from the TurtlePac to the main tank. To be confirmed !
