Early Bonanza Fuel Quantity Senders

Early Beech Bonanza Fuel Senders

What are the steps we need to take to build fuel senders for your aircraft: 

• Obtain a a set of old fuel level sensors from the aircraft we are considering (see the lower portion of the picture on the right).  If the IPC part numbers for the supplied senders match the aircraft they are on, we are good to go.
• Ideally this aircraft should have a strong user base with an owner that demonstrates a willingness to embrace new technology with their pocketbook.
• Discuss the compatibility with commonly installed MFD components or instruments.  We prefer instruments that accept digital input like Aerospace Logic, Garmin & JPI.
• CiES  Fuel Level Senders now has the capability of driving even old analog gauges in the aircraft (Universal Fuel Level)..
• Our market is the pilot / customer that is more concerned with fuel level issues and wants the required fuel level instrument in the panel to have the  capability of multiple point calibration.
• Evaluate the existing sensor design -  For example the bends in these sensor arms are either to assist in installation and removal of the fuel sensor or to clear aircraft structure in the fuel tank.
• As our sensor design allows for an easily detachable arm - these bends might not be necessary and simplify the design greatly.
• We then proceed to manufacture a conforming sensor with our best guess for geometry.
• Check the sensor in the aircraft fuel tank.  As you can see in the illustration - in this case the simple arm design works better in the tank and sweeps a better fuel volume being closes to the Spar and maximum chord point.
• At this point we qualify the design with drawings and procedures for the completed unit so that we can send these files to the FAA to have this configuration added to our TSO.
• Once we have approved drawings we can can produce the required sender with a TSO Tag attached.
• The fuel tank is then drained, the aircraft leveled and braced only then is the zero fuel amount added.  There should be movement of the sender to be able to record an accurate zero fuel level, this is an absolute requirement.
• Fuel is then added to the tank incrementally and accurately to obtain data points for calibration.  We direct the installer to take special caution to insure tabs fuel value is accurately recorded by the fuel display.
• Equally the installer needs to insure full fuel level per the POH is also accurately displayed.   

Note:  All aircraft fuel tanks are built with expansion volume - Full fuel per the POH may or may not be to the neck on the filler plate.  This is very important as the aircraft will probably be fueled in the future on a ramp -