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C-47 Fuel System Question

L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 28959 posts, RR: 66
Posted (3 months 2 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 1236 times:

Hey guys I was just reading up about a AKANG C-47 at Gustavus Alaska in the winter of 1957.

Anyway, a positive cause of the crash isn't given but it speculate fuel exhaustion might of been the cause. The was no post crash fire, and the report says that twenty plus gallons where found. But it isnt clear if that was one tank or a aggregate of all tanks. There are also reports that the engines where heard to surge right before impact. The report speculates that may have the mixture leaning due to starvation.

C-47s have a main and an Aux tank in each wing. I seem to remember one of my old bosses telling one time you had to Be carefull about what tank you took off and landed on because the fuel wouldn't feed from the tank.

I can't remember if it was the mains or aux's that you wanted to take-off or land on.....can somebody refresh my memory?

OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.

1 replies: All unread, jump to last

2H4 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 8937 posts, RR: 65
Reply 1, posted (3 months 2 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 1221 times:

AIRLINERS.NET CREW
HEAD DATABASE EDITOR

According to this checklist: http://www.theaviatornetwork.com/pdf/NormalChecklist-050221.pdf

...from a place that sells DC-3 types, fuel selectors are to be set on the mains before engine start/takeoff.

Another site agrees:

A vapor vent return line at the carburetor inlet
returns vapor in the line and a small amount of
fuel to the respective main tank. For this reason, it
is always desirable to takeoff and land using the
main tanks, and to be sure that there is always
space available in the main tanks for this fuel.

Source: http://www.flagshipdetroit.org/manuals/PDFManuals/28-FuelSystem.pdf

And finally, from a 1952 Pan-Am flight instructor's guide:

Q. In what order should the tanks be emptied?

A. Continue using main tanks after take-off until l75 gallons remain in each, then use the auxiliary tanks. Always shift to the main tanks for landing and take-off.

Source: http://www.douglasdc3.com/panam/panam.htm

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