SEN 1663
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- Category: Archive 2012
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Attempt to WATER Inject F1C Fuel.
Hats off to any, and all, who try new techniques to improve performance in the F1 events. We definitely would not be at the high performance level that we are had it not been for those individuals.
But I have to say, what are you doing??? Ever since 1966, when the FAI changed the rules to Methanol Alcohol and Castor Oil, (75/25 or 80/20... your choice, then) the biggest problem we have had with our F1C FAI fuel is having the alcohol contaminated with water. I suffered through this problem at the first contest I flew in with the new fuel rules. April 1966, Sebring, Florida.......... no idea where they got their alcohol but everyone suffered that day..... we were fortunate, no crashes.
Chuck said that all Methanol Alcohol has a minute amount of water in it........ our problem is how to keep that minute amount to as minute as humanly possible.
For a number of years we purchased our alcohol at Tognotti's Auto Parts store in Sacramento...... they supplied fuel for racing in that area, but eventually we found out that they did not do a good job in keeping their 50 gallon drums of alcohol tightly sealed. If you haven't tried to run a F1C engine with contaminated fuel, just try it! The engines run extremely hot, hard to needle..... almost impossible, get gnarly..... dangerous to try to go airborne when having this problem.
The F1C fliers in Northern California eventually solved this problem by Doug Galbreath buying a new sealed 50 gallon drum of alcohol, storing it at his print shop, and we all purchased alcohol from Doug, from a drum that we knew he kept tightly sealed, and of course, in out of the rain. THANKS, DOUG..... WE ALL APPRECIATED IT.
The F1C fuel we used for the 2008 Team Finals was in part contaminated, either when mixed with questionable alcohol, or improperly sealed, and for sure when the fuel was left sitting out overnight, unsealed.
For the 2010 Team Finals........... I asked for, and was given permission by the finals orgainzers, to purchase 80/20 factory mixed fuel in factory sealed quart bottles, and to have the fuel delivered to Terry Kerger, the F1C event director. Terry insured that the bottle tops for drawing the fuel out of the bottles were pre-cleaned and affixed to the fuel bottles, set out on the line on the morning of the event and then the bottles were picked up, properly sealed, and stored inside overnight, then put back out the following morning.
By using sealed quart bottles of fuel, Terry was able to keep the the fuel sealed until it was needed. Absolutely no problems with the fuel at that finals!!!!
The 2012 finals organizers need to put the same procedures in effect for the finals in October.