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Reformulated Gasoline

Low Pass

Well Known Member
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I'm beginning a new project (Lyc 180 hp, RV-9) that I hope will carry me forward into the next 25 years of GA and my personal travel flying. A big concern is fuel - cost and availability. What is readily available right now is reformulated auto gas. Yes, I'm familiar with its vapor pressure, compression/timing issues, and corrosive characteristics. No, regular gasoline/mogas is not readily available within 100+ miles of home.

With that said, is anyone using RFG? Haven't seen much on VAF about usage of this material.

I do believe submersible (automotive type) pumps would be needed. Planning on 2 mains and 2 aux tanks, so potentially up to 4 submersible pumps. Full electronic likely on ignition and fuel delivery.

What about fuel tank sealant? Proseal and RFG are not a good combination. Anyone have direct usage experience with sealants that can tolerate RFG?

All needs to also run on 100ll, alcohol, and maybe carbon free unicorn's milk as well.

Thanks
 
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MOGAS

RFG, are you talking about Mogas with 5-10 % alcohol ?
I´m running my 180 hp IO-360 on Mogas with 5 % alcohol.
The tanks should have a sealant that is approved for Mogas or be welded or be made of Vinylester resin.
Use a hose for fuel line firewall forward and this should be insulated.
The mechanical fuel pump on the engine should have an air cooled shroud.
Try to make the fuel lines with as low pressure drop as possible.
Avoid hardware with 90 deg angle as much as possible.
The electric fuel pump should be mounted as low as possible.
Other than that it is nothing that I recall.
Yes, there will be changes in the energy sector, particularly in areas that is
easy to change. Aviation is not one of them.
I guess that in 20 years there will be fewer piston engines.
Turbines will be cheaper to build due to new materials.
The cost of an aircraft increases about 4 % over the consumer average
for each year seen over a long period of time.

Good luck
 
Thanks Avansa. Surprised not any more replies. Must be a tank sealant that can tolerate RFG. I'll do my own research I guess.
 
I am assuming you are referring to gasoline with up to 10% ethanol, don't recall it ever being called reformulated gasoline here on the forum.

The Rotax engines used in the RV-15 are happiest with auto gas and Rotax approves up to 10% ethanol. As far as I know the tank sealant in RV-15's is the same as used in the other RV models. There are numerous threads in the forum archives about using auto gas and some RVers, as noted above, are also using ethanol blended auto gas.
 
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Yes, 10% ethanol gasoline. The oxygenated stuff we put in our cars in large US cities. I've always heard it called reformulated gasoline (RFG). Tried running it in my plane 15-20 years ago and the tanks sprung about 10 leaks. Buddy of mine had the same experience.

Looks like I should have been searching E10 gasoline. And something's changed with tank sealants - apparently more tolerant to blended fuel. Obviously it works with the -12 and others who claim to successfully run E10 and related...
 
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