I use ethanol free auto gasoline in my
Aeronca. It is approved for unleaded auto fuel under an STC from EAA.
Auto gas works better on the low compression engines in many of these old
airplanes. I'm based at a private grass strip with no fuel on the field.
Fortunately, we're in a coastal area where there are several nearby sources of
ethanol free gas to meet the demands of boaters. Several gas
stations as well as local marinas have ethanol free fuel in several grades.
The autofuel STC calls for 87 octane minimum. To get fuel into the plane,
I'm using a Portable Fuel System
(PFS) that uses compressed air to "pump" fuel via a standard fuel nozzle.
It works very well and is a great improvement over lifting heavy five gallon
fuel jugs.
The PFS holds 16 gallons - more than enough
to fill the
main tank on my Chief. It includes a filter that removes any dirt or water
that finds its way into the tank. I learned about the PFS from my
neighbor, Mike Roe, who uses the PFS to fuel his
Stinson 108-1.
Just like the fuel truck at the airport,
there is an antistatic line on the PFS. I clip it to the zerk fitting on
the landing gear oleo.
The nozzle is similar to the one at your
local gas station. It is easy to control for careful fueling. I
place a towel, with a cutout for the filler neck, on the cowl to catch any
splashes.
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