Director's note regarding fuel measurement.
Where fuel quantity measurement is a requirement of a task, the fuel may may be measured before the task, or the 'residual fuel' may be measured at the end of a task, or both. When residual fuel is to be measured, this means that the aircraft must return from the task with a usable fuel quantity as close as possible to a briefed amount.
 
The task description in certain fuel economy tasks contains the phrase "...if a residual fuel requirement has been specified, after completing the landing the competitor will be required to enter a Quarantine area for fuel checking and scoring." If it is required that aircraft return with residual fuel this will be specified at the briefing.
 
When residual fuel of say, 5 litres is specified, excess fuel may carry the same penalty as insufficient fuel, or these penalties may be different. For example, the penalty for returning with 5.1 litres may be 10 points whereas the penalty for returning with 4.9 litres could be 10 points, 20 points or 100% of the task score. The exact conditions will be specified at the briefing.
 
The amount of residual fuel will be calculated by draining or siphoning the remaining fuel from the aircraft fuel tank and system and measuring it by volume or weight (as briefed), usually to the nearest 0.1 litre. Only fuel available to the aircraft fuel system will be measured, fuel not part of the fuel system or that could not have been used in flight will not be included.
 
An aircraft found to have a means of discharging or dumping any or all of its fuel in flight or while taxiing will be disqualified. The fuel system inspection that takes place prior to the start of the competition, and which may also take place at any time during the competition, will include a search for any in flight or taxiing fuel dumping or discharge system. Safe systems for extracting or draining fuel from the aircraft that cannot be operated in flight or while taxing will be permitted.
 
Once the aircraft has landed it will be required to move to an inspection area where the residual fuel will be measured. The aircraft must travel by the route directed by the marshals and excessive use of the engine and brakes in order to consume fuel en route is not permitted. Similarly, the aircraft must taxi clear of the landing area and may be required to taxi to the inspection area under power. Excessive use of brakes and engine or failure to taxi clear of the landing area and to the inspection area may be penalised.
 
Draining of fuel tanks and systems after the task and measuring of residual fuel will be supervised by a marshal but may be supervised or undertaken by competitors from other teams. Identification of which teams are to supervise other teams will be specified at the briefing.

Page last reviewed
17 Mar 2003

 
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