Monday, September 2, 2019

QB Wing Leak Test

The plans call for an additional leak test for peace of mind.  I elected to do both the balloon and manometer tests in combination with soapy water to check for leaks.  Fortunately, the only leaks I found were near the hardware I installed for the test itself.  The valve stem leaked a little until tightened, and the fuel cap leaked a little through the overlapping seam in the duct tape I used to try and seal it off during the test.  Having not built my wings, I was a little apprehensive about pulling off the tanks in the first place.  The first one took me about two hours (once I found all of the AN3 bolts) to remove.  The second took me a lot less time for removal and attaching.

I used 5/16" clear vinyl tubing for the manometer.  Here's a link to another builder's site that explains the process very well.  I checked each tank for about a day with 1 PSI before I removed the tubing and reinstalled the tanks on the wings.


I used a spare 2x3 frame that I wasn't using for my manometer test.  Low tech, but effective.


The balloon self-deflates after a bit, and is really just to ensure that you don't over pressurize the tank, so it's helpful for a little while if you just want to use soapy water to check for leaks quickly.





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