CruiseMaster Additional Aux Fuel Tank

Ralph,
I don't often have the need to maximize my fuel with passengers, but I have gotten pretty good at switching tanks as it starts to slurp. The fuel flow monitor helps tremendousy.
 
Mine, n6575N, has a field approved 13 gallon tank from a Cessna 159 under the baggabe compartment. when full, it's placarded for ONE POUND in the baggage compartment or 40 pounds in the rear seat. Not real useful if you need to stay overnight.
 
Forrest,
Why such a low usable? Assuming the moment under the baggage compartment is the same as inside the baggage compartment, shouldn't the weight allowed be the same? The baggage compartment is certified for 186 pounds, 13 gallons of fuel is only 80 pounds, so wouldn't you have 100 pounds remaining for the baggage compartment?
 
Just found the 337 Says "one passenger allowed in rear passenger seat. Baggage restricted to 26 pounds." A remote compass was later added behind the baggage compartment which further changed the allowable weight
 
Was this on a -2 cruise master that also had the 14-15 gallons aux tank behind the rear seat? Meaning it had 25 usable gallons in 2 aux tanks?
 
On a 14-19 taildragger. It has the factory aux tank plus the Cessna 13 gallon one - total aux fuel 33 gallons. Wings, 20 gal. each.
 
Ah! That makes sense then it had a 20 gallon factory aux tank.
I was thinking that it had the 14 gallon aux tank from the later Cruisemasters, so they had 73 total gallons of fuel on board.
The 33 gallons of gas would definitely max out the CG on the 14-19
The -2 has enough CG range and weight available in the baggage compartment to carry an Additional 30 gallons on top of the 14 gallon factory aux. Alas, the paperwork requirements make it a non-starter.
Seems swapping the 14 gallon tank for the 20 gallon tank would be easiest (if you could manage to get the old tank out without cutting fabric) or if you were already doing wing recovering, to add the viking tanks.

Pipe Dreams for now, but maybe one day!
 
In a 14-19-2, is a swap from the 14 gallon aux tank to the 20 gallon aux tank a logbook entry with new weight & balance? Also new placards?
Or is it a 337 form with W&B?
Bellanca installed 14 gallon aux tanks in the 14-19-2, but later wrote a letter allowing the 20 gallon as an option or retro fit? If this is the case the paper work might be less than a 337?
I have a 20 gallon aux tank from a salvaged 14-19-3, and would consider this an upgrade worth doing if not too many 'Imperial Entanglements', as my Aux tank only holds 13 gallons in the real world. :(
 
Shipchief,
I think the problem is that the 14 gallon tank is actually wider, and may require fabric to be cut in order to remove it, making it less than worth it.
The 20 gallon tank is narrower and will supposedly fit through the cabin door.
No idea on paperwork
 
I think if you look carefully at the T.C. you will see that one model of Cruismaster had an option of a larger aux tank. I dont recall if it was a straight 14-19, or a -2. I think it was an additional small tank plumbed together with the 14 gallon, but I dont remember clearly. Check the T.C. If my memory is correct, then the factory should have the drawings. If it is in the T.C. would putting one in be just a log book entry? Might be interesting. _____Grant.
 
gjordan said:
If it is in the T.C. would putting one in be just a log book entry?
Click to expand...

Yes, the type certificate in it's current revision allows for one of two tanks to be installed as an Aux.. one of them is listed as a 20 gallon tank (we can assume it's the -3 tank but without seeing the drawings to be certain). It also mentions it must be installed in accordance with both of two drawings AND there must be a specific version of the flight manual with appropriate revisions. If all those conditions are met, only a logbook entry would be required. Of course, W&B would need to be done, an A&P would have to do the return to service statement, etc....
I could be mistaken, but I believe to satisfy all the conditions, a single-valve fuel system must also be installed. It's plausable since when Bellanca installed them, the -2 had the single valve.
I did a pre-purchase on a -2 first sold in 1959 that had the same tank installed as the -3 *from the factory*. The guy had extensive paperwork dating back to its sale, and that was the first time I talked to Carroll at AA.. seems Bellanca either was at the end of the -2 run and didn't have any more of the -2 tanks, or wanted to increase market favor ability, or both :)

I think if you're plane is apart already, doing the deed is fine. But I fly with a 20 gal tank behind me now and only on one flight did I use all that gas, and even then I didnt need to. Honestly the only nice thing about it for me is to help balance since the -3 is nose heavy without a little juice out back. I have a case of Dasani water bottles I carry on longish cross country flights even since I had a forced landing in the middle of nowhere, west texas. Having that in the baggage really helps balance when the aux runs dry.
 
What I was referring to was I thought I had seen (maybe wrongly) that there was a behind the seat 2 aux tank set up in the TC. If it was made up of an additional small tank plumbed together with the 14 gal tank, it might be easy to get the smaller one in without cutting fabric. My 14-19 T.C. burned up along with all of my other paperwork, so I cant check. I seem to remember that I had looked at the T.C. many times before I noticed it. Maybe Fog Brain is just setting in. Getting old is so much fun. ______Grant.
 
It would be interesting if there was a 2-tank setup, seeing as the install would be a bit more reasonable.

I have calculated that to complete my future (really really really future) circumnavigation of the world, I will only need 180 gallons! So if I installed every fuel tank bellanca ever even thought of making I will only be about 100 gallons short!
 
Years ago there was a Cruisair that made it to Australia in one of those Vintage air races. I think the owner of the plane is a club member. "Bernie" I dont know what type of ferry tank was used, but I think the plane just had the Slim Kidwell 14 gallon under the rear seat aux tank. Maybe the back seat was loaded with a ferry tank? It was written up in the early club news letters. Does anybody know about it???? ____Grant.
 
OK , I just did what I am not good at. I went to the FAA web site and looked up the 14-19 T.C. Item # 106 is a two tank 32.5 gallon aux tank set up for a 14-19. Item #112 is a 20 gallon aux tank for a 14-19-2. So they are legal if installed according to factory drawings. I have never seen or heard of a 14-19 with 32.5 gallons of aux fuel, so I suspect that few were ordered that way. If I was interested in more fuel , I would find the N-number of the -2 that Brian Farrel sold about a year ago, and see how good Webbers paperwork is for mounting the 34 gallon wing tanks. You can fit 92 gallons in a Cruismaster. Maybe my brain is not as foggy as I thought it was. ______Grant.
 
That's tankering a lot of gas, for a Cruisemaster. I've got a 14-19 with a 25 gal. aux tank in the baggage compartment. It takes up about 40% of the baggage compartment. I suppose it was a factory-install, but I'm not sure. The factory offered it as a $95 option. The tank precludes any chance of access to the baggage compartment from inside the airplane. With 65 gal. onboard, that's about all my backside and bladder can handle. Tom Robinson
 
crumast, it would be good for all of the members to see what your FAA CD says about the extra tank. I had never heard of a 25 gallon tank, but who knows what Bellanca did. Is yours a single tank or 2 tanks plumbed together? _____Grant.
 
It's a single tank, located at the forward half of the baggage compartment. It rests on the floor of the compartment, and reaches to the top of the compartment. The plane was practically built around it. If it ever leaks, it'll take a lot of dismantling. On the TCDS, it's item 104. Tom Robinson
 
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