Novel fuel tank design boosts helicopter payload
A
Meese Orbitron Dunne Co product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Dec 17, 2002
A rugged, lightweight, all-plastic fuel tank design extends the range of Robinson R44 helicopters in agricultural applications while permitting an increased chemical payload.
Pioneering plastics rotomoulder Meese Orbitron Dunne has developed a rugged, lightweight, all-plastic fuel tank that extends the range of Robinson R44 helicopters in agricultural applications while permitting an increased chemical payload and returning significant cost-efficiencies.
Ideal for use in remote locations and on vast farms where fuel and chemicals must be hauled great distances, the MOD tank is rotomoulded from crosslinked polyethylene in a single, seamless piece for helicopter systems supplier Apollo Helicopter Corp.
The durable fuel tank is designed to thrive in harsh, summer conditions and repel attack from corrosives and sunlight without stress cracking or weakening.
The MOD tank meets Federal Aviation Association (FAA) crash test requirements for safety while weighing in at just over 20kg.
Engineered to fit into Apollo's new aerial spraying system, the unique MOD tank permits the entire system to be quickly detached for transportation and other non-agricultural applications without requiring the removal of the helicopter's antennas.
In addition, the tank's complex shape fits neatly around the communications components and landing gear on the underside of the helicopter.
"The capacity of traditional rectangular, metal tanks was always limited by its need to clear the landing gear and the communications equipment", says John Kochy, president of Apollo.
By occupying a greater area underneath the helicopter, the MOD tank increases capacity by 50% over the conventional tanks to a stunning 94gal.
"That means far fewer stops for refilling, more time in the air and a more profitable crop duster", says Kochy.
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