Extended Fuel Tanks

Considerations

• Vans is not allowing to take the regular sized tank out of the kit.
• By adding weight to the wings without reinforcing the involved structures, you are making use of the reserves built into the Van's original design.
• Getting out of a developed spin requires the rudder to overcome the angular momentum of the spinning aircraft. The further a weight is from the center of rotation, the more its weight counts by the square of the distance (see Angular Momentum). For this reason, twin engine airplanes usually have large rudders and / or a fin below the tailcone to resist spins. Adding weight to the wings without adding a larger rudder or a fin bears the potential risk of not being able to recover from a developed spin.
• See also this FB Thread (3/19/2022)
• See also this FB Thread (1/18/2024)

Companies Providing Extended Range Fuel Tanks

• Skydesigns (modified wing tanks extend 2 ribs further out, 83 vs 60 gallons)
  • SkyDesigns Installation Hints
• Hotel Whiskey Aviation (tip tanks)