BackgroundFueling your Aerotrek in a cost effective, safe and convenient manner can be challenging! Often times we hangar or park our airplanes where automotive fuel is not offered as a choice, leaving only expensive aviation fuel which creates additional maintenance costs/issues. Fueling with 5-Gallon (Jerry Cans) containers is difficult as you lift and balance 30+ pounds on a ladder all the while trying not to spill fuel all over your fabric and Plexiglas windows.
OptionsResearching available alternatives to fuel our A220 where we hangar revealed the following options:
• Fuel on field, self-service, with 100LL currently at $5.59/gallon
• Fuel with Automotive Fuel using 5-Gallon Jerry Cans filled at the local gas station
• Fuel at the closest airport with Automotive Fuel which is 28nm away from our hangar
• Purchase a portable fueling solution, frequently designed for farm and construction usage. This solution fits in a pickup and costs typically in excess of $1,200
Requirements We spent some time thinking about what the ideal portable solution for fueling the airplane would be. We came up
with the following:
• Portable / Safe Fueling Solution that would fit in my pickup or our family car trunk that is approved for gasoline.
• Ability to manage the entire process from filling at the gas station to fueling the aircraft by myself.
• Ability to completely fuel the A220 when completely empty (~20 Gallons).
• Ability to disguise this solution to avoid prying eyes and questions from the local airport manager.
• Ability to meter fuel as it is dispensed into the aircraft.
• Ability to filter or screen fuel as it is dispensed into the aircraft.
• Ability to operate the pump with 12V DC, or 120V AC. (including the use of the cigarette power port in the plane)
• Ability to quickly dispense fuel, while also being able to throttle the amount of gas going in to prevent overflow.
InspirationWhile watching one of the several YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp0lKplwecw&t=318s) back country pilots that we follow one evening, the sponsor of the video was WURX Containers out of Logan, Utah. WURX offered a 20-Gallon portable fuel solution with pump that looked like it would be nearly ideal for our situation. We ordered the fuel container (Providence Peak) along with the TRPAIL Pump.
ImplementationOur WURX Providence Peak-TRPAIL Pump Bundle arrived within a couple of weeks; it was slightly delayed due to backorders. The container (20 Gallons) is well made and easily setup for use. The TRPAIL pump came with a 120V AC to 12V DC transformer, along with approximately 6’ of fueling hose and a variable output fueling nozzle. The pump is equipped with an inlet screen to stop debris from being pumped into the plane. The fuel container easily fit in both the trunk of our car as well as the bed of the pickup.
In order to meet all of our requirements listed above, we still needed to solve for managing the container from gas station to fueling the plane, disguising the container, the ability to operate the pump without 120V AC power, and finally the ability to meter fuel being dispensed.
We solved the management of moving the gas container by purchasing a steel service cart from Harbor Freight. The cart is 24” X 36” which provided an easy way to move the container around solo. I roll the cart out to the pickup, move the container from the tailgate to the cart and then we are all set to fuel the plane. I have added a ¼” piece of plywood to the top of the cart to distribute the weight better. (The plywood is not pictured here)
For those individuals who can't or don’t want to transport the 20-gallon WURX container (130 lbs.) back and forth to the gas station and unload the WRUX tank onto a roll-around cart in their hangar, you can continue to bring gasoline as needed to your hangar in your current gas cans, then, pour your gas into the WURX container for fill-up. The WURX system will provide the convenience and improved safety of an electric pump and hose and nozzle, without the need to hoist a heavy gas can up onto the wing.
We purchased a BBQ grill cover from Amazon that completely covers the WURX container and pump. This allows the cart, tank and pump to appear to be just another piece of equipment in the hangar.
We wanted to be able to use the A220’s cigarette lighter or any battery to power the pump if 120V AC was not available. To accomplish this, we decided to build a pump patch cable that would work with either the cigarette lighter outlet or the standard alligator type battery clamps. With a little research, and the help of Amazon and Harbor Freight, we assembled our power patch cables using waterproof wire connectors to facilitate switching between cigarette outlet and alligator clamps. We soldered all connections and protected the wires from shorting with the use of heat shrink tubing. The power patch cable works great, making it easy to fill the plane without an outlet or a vehicle nearby!
We added an in-line fuel filter (WIX 33299) to provide increased protection over the debris screen that is provided with the WURX pump. You will need to purchase approximately 2’ of ½” ID fuel line from your auto parts store along with some worm clamps. I removed the clamp that secured the original hose to the pump then added inline the fuel filter first, then our flowmeter before re-attaching the original delivery hose.
The final requirement was to be able to meter the fuel as it was being pumped into the plane. The WURX solution does not offer any metering. After researching for reasonably priced fuel meters, we found a digital turbine flow meter that looked like it would work. The meter reads in liters or gallons, has a large bright display that can be calibrated if needed and includes both a resettable session total and accumulated total readouts.
To assemble the metering system, you will need: 2 – 1” to ¾” NPT Bushings, 2 – NPT ¾” to ½” Barb Adapters along with Yellow High Density (designed for gasoline) thread tape to seal the connections. You will also need 5- stainless steel work clamps for the hose connections. I used heavy duty wire ties to secure the meter/filter assembly to the WURX handle making it easy to read while fueling the airplane.
The fuel nozzle does not come with a dust/debris cap. We were able to find a perfect fit with the Dorman 5/8” coolant bypass cap, also available on Amazon. This keeps any debris out of the nozzle in-between usage.
ConclusionWe are extremely pleased with the end result. It is an easy, safe and cost-effective way to fuel our airplane. The list of parts and pieces that we used along with the web links is detailed below, hopefully this will make it easier for you to assemble your own portable fueling solution.
Component/Parts List
Amazon (https://www.amazon.com)
WURX (https://www.wurxcontainers.com) - WURX Providence Peak-TRPAIL Pump Bundle (https://www.wurxcontainers.com/fuel)
Harbor Freight (https://www.harborfreight.com) Hardware Store - Yellow PTFE High Density Thread Tape
- 1” to ¾” NPT Bushings
- ¾” to ½” Barb Adapters
- Stainless Steel Worm Drive Clamps
Automotive Parts Store- ½” ID Fuel Line
- Heavy Duty Wire Ties
If you have any questions about this solution or would like additional pictures, message me with your email and I will send them to you.
