Fuel Tank in Cabin: Data pertaining to relative risk

[conodeuce]

I've heard from various sources over the years that having a fuel tank mounted in the cabin is not as safe as having a tank located in the wing. In a crash scenario, I think this is intuitively obvious.
But, aside from casual anecdotes, I wonder if information exists that would clarify whether the increased risk is sufficient enough to make relocating the tank to another location a smart idea worthy of the impact on the design (CG changes etc).

I ask because the designer of my aircraft, an Acey Deucy, specifies the location just aft of the firewall, mounted behind the forward cockpit's instrument panel.

Thanks in advance for any information.

[Sam Buchanan]

Builder's discretion. I guess the fatalistic way of looking at it is to recognize that a crash bad enough to rupture the cowl tank is going to be a very bad day all the way around.........

There is the possibility of a fuel leak getting your legs wet, but......

I have either owned or built four aircraft with cowl tanks (one of which was the ubiquitous J-3 Cub) and I've never spent any time worrying about them (for the above reason...).

[Bob Dingley]

I learned to fly in a J-3 and owned a Champ. Didn't think much about safety until Uncle Sam sent me to Arizona State U to take the Crash Survival Investigators course. I had a flashback to a J-3 accident when the pilot died in a max T.O. stall and a flaming crash. His passenger died 3 days latter. It was the same J-3 that I got my PVT in.
The course at ASU taught me that wing mounted tanks are far safer than 12 gallons of avgas in your lap. The course further suggested that Break-a-way fittings in the wing-fusalage area are the best solution. ( Summit Racing catalogue) Next best is to have slack or a loop in the fuel line at the fuselage juncture to deal with flexing at impact.
The worst arrangement is whats in a Luscombe 8A. A tank BEHIND you. It also has fuel feed problems. I loved my 8A. It had been converted to two 11.5 gal wing tanks.
Bob

[CarlOrton]

Sonex aircraft have 17-18 gals of fuel right over your legs, behind the panel (I built one). With the newer materials, they filled one of their rotationally-molded tanks with water, plugged the openings, and tossed it off the hangar roof. It didn't rupture. As Sam noted, that bad a crash and you've got more to worry about.

[conodeuce]

Exactly. The roto-mold tanks are the way to go. I'll be pricing the cost for a custom tank. Hopefully it's in my budget.

[DaleB]

Exactly. The roto-mold tanks are the way to go. I'll be pricing the cost for a custom tank. Hopefully it's in my budget.

Let us know what you find out, would you? I didn't know you could even get a custom roto-molded tank made. I'd be interested to know where (if) you can, and how expensive it is.

[conodeuce]

Let us know what you find out, would you? I didn't know you could even get a custom roto-molded tank made. I'd be interested to know where (if) you can, and how expensive it is.

I will model the fuel tank using SolidWorks. A company I found during a casual web search earlier this week accepts designs in this format. Once I have a quote, I will post here.

The first company I will approach is MODRoto in Ohio.

See: http://www.modroto.com/custom-molding/get-quote/

[martymayes]

The first company I will approach is MODRoto in Ohio.

See: http://www.modroto.com/custom-molding/get-quote/

That's pretty cool. Are you going to tell them this is for your bobsled?

[planecrazzzy]

.
This one is about 30 gals.... Feel better ?

Most Tailwinds carry at least 20 gal like this.

Gotta Fly...

[rwanttaja]

Ron Wanttaja