Fuel Tank Selector - Picture Thread

455 Bravo Uniform

455 Bravo Uniform

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455 Bravo Uniform
I was wondering, what planes have tank selectors and which don't, and which planes have selectors that do or don't have a BOTH setting (somewhat idiot proof if I don't touch the lever).

So here's the deal on this thread - Name the make, model, and attach a pic of the fuel selector (preferably GA planes). Just for funzies...
 
PA-28's have the L or R fuel selector, no BOTH. No personal photo, but found this one online.
 

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So on the your RV-8A do you have to switch tanks to check level on the gauge?
 
"funzies"............anyone? are we just gonna let this slide? what is wrong with us???!!!??
 
'75 Bellanca Super Viking with a Left Right and Aux (I'll add the pic later). Pre '74 was a lot more fun with 5 tanks and 2 selectors with 8 possible combinations.

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Andair valve in my Van's RV-9A. No BOTH setting, as a low-wing will suck air in this configuration if one tank is depleted. With gravity-feed high-wings, the BOTH setting works just fine.

 
The Piper Meridian has no fuel selector. It automatically draws fuel from whichever tank is fullest. If there is an imbalance then you pull the CB for the fuel pump in the wing that has the most. It's a mostly reliable system.
 
DA20 has no fuel selector. That's because there's only one fuel tank. It's behind the cabin and not in the wings.

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Here's mine: 1960 Beech G18S
be653b354a562495a7253e53d2ba2a77.jpg
 
linuxjim said:
'75 Bellanca Super Viking with a Left Right and Aux (I'll add the pic later). Pre '74 was a lot more fun with 5 tanks and 2 selectors with 8 possible combinations.

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Click to expand...

I have the five-tank, two selector setup in mine. The "primary" selector, which is in between the front two seats, has "off - right main - left main - aux." If you put the primary selector in "Aux," you then turn your attention to the secondary selector on the floor. It has "Right Aux - Left Aux - Fuselage Aux." To make things more interesting, the airplane only has 2 fuel gauges. One for the main tanks and one for the aux tanks. The main tank gauge only shows the level of the selected main tank, and shows "zero" when the primary fuel selector is placed in the "Aux" position. The Aux fuel gauge always shows the selected aux tank. So keeping track of where your fuel is becomes critical, particularly because you're not supposed to takeoff or land on the aux tanks. There have been multiple fuel-related accidents in Super Vikings because of poor fuel management in the older models (pilot lost track of where his/her fuel was).

Here's how fuel management works for me on cross-countries:

Takeoff on a main tank. Once at cruise altitude, switch to an aux tank (fuselage first, if I'm using it). I run that tank dry, then switch to the next aux tank, run it dry, switch to the next aux tank, run it dry, switch to the full main tank, and then land on whichever main is fullest when I'm to that point (if it's a long flight, I usually end up back on the same tank I took off on for landing).
 
MassPilot said:
DA20 has no fuel selector. That's because there's only one fuel tank. It's behind the cabin and not in the wings.

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Click to expand...

Could you still show us maybe a blank space where it would be IF there were one? :D
 
Aviat Husky just on and off. Sight gauges for both right and left tanks show actual fuel bobbing up and down in a clear tube. Pretty fool proof.
 
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The Cardinal has the same in floor Left-Both-Right switch as the 172. I keep mine in both.
 
cgrab said:
The Cardinal has the same in floor Left-Both-Right switch as the 172. I keep mine in both.
Click to expand...

Do you park it on both? We always park on LEFT. Could be an OWT but it has something to do with cross-feeding? So, typically I'll start-up on both, switch to left for taxiing, about half way out to run-up area switch to right, and then just before run-up switch to both. In theory I've confirmed fuel flow from both tanks, and am not making any fuel system changes after the mag check.

Same basic technique in the low wings too (except there is no both)
 
Holy complicated fuel feed Batman, just gimme some fuel! I am sure I could figure out a way to screw up some of those switches easily.

"On-off" counts and is picture-worthy.

Does the Cherokee 6/235 have more than 2 tanks?
 
rolivi said:
Our 6/300 has 4. I think that is fairly common on the PA32s.
Click to expand...

The early PA32s, like the 6, have 4 tanks. In the later models, the Lance/Saratoga, it's just 2 tanks. I don't know if any of the Cherokee 6s have the 2-tank setup, but I've never flown one that did.
 
bradg33 said:
The early PA32s, like the 6, have 4 tanks. In the later models, the Lance/Saratoga, it's just 2 tanks. I don't know if any of the Cherokee 6s have the 2-tank setup, but I've never flown one that did.
Click to expand...
1979 only, the last model year of the Hershey-bar-wing PA-32-300, had the Lance-style fuel system. There were still four tanks, but they were interconnected within the wings with only a 2-position left-right (plus 'off') selector for the pilot to mess with. All previous Cherokee Sixes had the four-tank selector, like the Cherokee 235.

BTW, the '79 was just called "Piper Six" -- the "Cherokee" name was dropped after the '78 model year on the PA-32, and after the '77 model year on all other PA-28 and PA-32 versions.
 
Since I generally park on flat ground I leave in both. I did park on a slop at the AOPA Tullahoma fly-in and during pre-flight before leaving I saw there was an imbalance in the tanks. By the time I landed it was evened out.
 
rolivi said:
Same basic technique in the low wings too (except there is no both)
Click to expand...

The stock Navion only has a ON-OFF fuel valve (no left or right, just off and both). Once you start adding either the factory or STCed aux tanks the fuel selector gets more involved. In mine, I have a LEFT TIP - MAIN - RIGHT TIP - OFF fuel selector. There's also a LEFT TIP-RIGHT TIP crossfeed and a gravity transfer from the baggage compartment aux tank to the main.
 
Ryanb said:
PA-28's have the L or R fuel selector, no BOTH. No personal photo, but found this one online.
Click to expand...

...and "off" :)

I am a new student flying a PA-28 and having a hard time reaching the selector when in flight when it is time to change tanks. The seat belt holds me back but even when I move slowly it's not a solid grasp on the selector. It's like fingertips. If I move the seat more forward I am jammed in, and not full movement of the yoke.
I feel dumb for not yet having a solution. Anyone else have this problem?
 
LongRoadBob said:
...and "off" :)

I am a new student flying a PA-28 and having a hard time reaching the selector when in flight when it is time to change tanks. The seat belt holds me back but even when I move slowly it's not a solid grasp on the selector. It's like fingertips. If I move the seat more forward I am jammed in, and not full movement of the yoke.
I feel dumb for not yet having a solution. Anyone else have this problem?
Click to expand...
Sounds like your shoulder harness is adjusted too tight. No need to have it so tight that your movement is limited, it should have "some" slack in it.
 
Cessna 185, both, left, right.

Real world and per the POH, for cruise you switch between L and R otherwise you'll end up with some imbalance.

Not my pic

debrief1.jpg


PC12 doesn't have one, just has a emergency shut off and two boost pumps which can auto equalize any imbalance.
 
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