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Cox Engine of The Month
Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
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Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
I recently bought one of these on eBay and while getting it up and running I found that the fuel tank plastic had become very brittle and both of the fuel line connections broke off. I created a replacement by cutting down and soldering a Perfect #3 fuel tank and adding some brass sheet to the bottom to fit into the tank holder. This was surprisingly easy to do and hopefully will help inspire anyone else who needs to replace their Skycopter tank.
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
Good job to keep it running! If this was mine, I would at least try fixing the original as well. I would get me a small piece of copper or aluminum tube teh size you need and drill the original holes to fit it snugly then use JB Weld or the like to hold the tubing in place. Just a thought if you wanted to try repairing it. Looking at the tank, I would go with aluminum as it would better match the original color as well as JB Weld is grey also.
NEW222- Top Poster
- Posts : 3896
Join date : 2011-08-13
Age : 46
Location : oakbank, mb
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
Good repair job, and the weight of the tank helps to counterbalance the engine's cylinder.
GallopingGhostler- Top Poster
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Posts : 5742
Join date : 2013-07-13
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
Wow. Sorry, my bad on my previous post. I took a look again, and now see the fuel tank location. Originally I thought it was below the engine, the silver colored piece below it. Please disregard what I had said earlier. I think I gotta study pictures better before opening my mouth......
NEW222- Top Poster
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Join date : 2011-08-13
Age : 46
Location : oakbank, mb
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
I can see how that grey part could be mistaken for the tank. Unfortunately the original tank is beyond repair, that was my original plan but when I tried drilling out the holes for tubing I found that the plastic was very brittle throughout.
I'm not all that concerned about keeping the originality of this one I tact because I plan to fly it as often as I can. Just need to hope that nothing else breaks or that it flies away and gets lost. I do have another one that just needs cleaned up a bit and that will be my collection piece.
I'm not all that concerned about keeping the originality of this one I tact because I plan to fly it as often as I can. Just need to hope that nothing else breaks or that it flies away and gets lost. I do have another one that just needs cleaned up a bit and that will be my collection piece.
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
Nice looking repair , one of those tanks may not bee that hard to find ( most people take the engine off and use the .020 engine )) I have an engine tank in very good shape round here somewhere lol .
getback- Top Poster
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Posts : 10472
Join date : 2013-01-18
Age : 67
Location : julian , NC
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
That is a very good handmade replacement tank. Great idea I may have to use in the future. I have a small handfull of the 020 SkyCopter engines, most without the tanks. I did purchase a NIP tank from Cox International when Bernie came upon a stash of cox parts. Somewhere I read that the earlier SkyCopter came with a metal tank, but have never seen one. Here’s one one eBay that is priced higehr than gold.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cox-7148-Sky-Copter-Plastic-Gas-Fuel-Tank-for-Gas-Powered-Helicopter-7148/362454261080?epid=2295711409&hash=item5463f51d58:g:43wAAOSwaG1bvUFiUSPSFirstClass!49544!US!-1
I don’t think I’d pay that much for a small plastic tank, just to watch it fly away on a newly refurbished SkyCopter!!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cox-7148-Sky-Copter-Plastic-Gas-Fuel-Tank-for-Gas-Powered-Helicopter-7148/362454261080?epid=2295711409&hash=item5463f51d58:g:43wAAOSwaG1bvUFiUSPSFirstClass!49544!US!-1
I don’t think I’d pay that much for a small plastic tank, just to watch it fly away on a newly refurbished SkyCopter!!
Marleysky- Top Poster
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Posts : 3618
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Location : Grand Rapids, MI
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
I never seen a Skycopter with a metal tank. I owned them since they were first introduced. I'm not saying it's not possible. One thing is for certain is that the Ebay seller is obviously not in tune to what people are willing to offer or pay. The nipples broke off of those tanks when they were new and I can only imagine it's even more brittle 40 years later. The stock tanks actually had too much fuel in them which caused more than 6 of mine to go bye bye. The Perfect tank on there now certainly appears to be larger not to mention you can't see the fuel level prior to launching. A lean run of 30 seconds can put that thing into orbit.
Ken Cook- Top Poster
- Posts : 5653
Join date : 2012-03-27
Location : pennsylvania
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
That's a nice job on the replacement tank. I've never seen one of these fly. What happens when they run out of fuel? Do they autorotate and come back down slowly, or just drop out of the sky?
Could a fishing line or kite string tether be used on them to keep from losing them?
Could a fishing line or kite string tether be used on them to keep from losing them?
TLAnderson- Gold Member
- Posts : 243
Join date : 2016-07-21
Location : Northern Wisconsin
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
Having played with model rocketry, I'd think that on a very calm day, with a set of binoculars, once out of fuel, the blade pitch changes, they fall in auto-rotation fast enough that one could get it without it going OOS (out-of-sight).
Back in high school in the early 1970's, I had an Estes rocket called "Gyroc". It had flaps on the ends of its tail fins that were kept straight by the engine in place. Once ejection charge popped the engine out, the flaps would deploy, rocket would helicopter back to earth nose first.
It worked fine with the smaller rocket engines up to "B" size. Then I made the mistake of putting a C-6-7 engine into it. Take off impulse was so strong, it stripped one set of fins off during take off blast. It didn't helicopter recover. It sort of flit on the way down, hitting the ground hard enough to buckle the body tube.
Thus ended my beautiful Gyroc. Otherwise,
Back in high school in the early 1970's, I had an Estes rocket called "Gyroc". It had flaps on the ends of its tail fins that were kept straight by the engine in place. Once ejection charge popped the engine out, the flaps would deploy, rocket would helicopter back to earth nose first.
It worked fine with the smaller rocket engines up to "B" size. Then I made the mistake of putting a C-6-7 engine into it. Take off impulse was so strong, it stripped one set of fins off during take off blast. It didn't helicopter recover. It sort of flit on the way down, hitting the ground hard enough to buckle the body tube.
Thus ended my beautiful Gyroc. Otherwise,
GallopingGhostler- Top Poster
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Posts : 5742
Join date : 2013-07-13
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
getback wrote:Nice looking repair , one of those tanks may not bee that hard to find ( most people take the engine off and use the .020 engine )) I have an engine tank in very good shape round here somewhere lol .
Hi,
I hope you’re well.
Do you still have one of those tanks and willing to sell?
Thanks,
David
davehour- Bronze Member
- Posts : 46
Join date : 2020-12-31
Location : Puerto Rico
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
Tru dat my brother, but have you seen what they go for on the bay(when they come up)?getback wrote:Nice looking repair , one of those tanks may not bee that hard to find ( most people take the engine off and use the .020 engine )) I have an engine tank in very good shape round here somewhere lol .
Waaaay back, I sent one off to a fairly active member for zilch. I bought an engine plate
assembly for the piston/cylinder, and didn't need it. What was his name? I only remember
he was from Ireland.
On the other hand, there's this.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cox-Fuel-Tank-Reproduction-020-Sky-Copter/223977252591?hash=item342615a6ef&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAADMCYkb9b%252B2DDdm8y
Bob
dckrsn- Diamond Member
- Posts : 2750
Join date : 2010-10-21
Age : 71
Location : Long Island, New York
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
I'm going to order one today and see if the tank works out.
Sparky
Sparky
elmshoot- New Member
- Posts : 2
Join date : 2019-10-11
Re: Cox .020 Skycopter fuel tank replacement
Keep us informed , hopefully it will work out . Looks like he is in the reproduction business .
getback- Top Poster
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Posts : 10472
Join date : 2013-01-18
Age : 67
Location : julian , NC
3D printed tank
I got the 3D printed tank and it works a treat! I put in about a dozen flights on it last fall. Flight heights were between less than 10' and up to maybe 200' when the engine ran properly. I can't get a consistent running engine! I will pull it apart and clean it with attention to the reed. Running 30% nitro 1/2A fuel.
The canopy just crumbled in my hand so I am flying a convertible. If I could get a replacement canopy maybe 3D printed I would be interested.
Sparky
The canopy just crumbled in my hand so I am flying a convertible. If I could get a replacement canopy maybe 3D printed I would be interested.
Sparky
elmshoot- New Member
- Posts : 2
Join date : 2019-10-11
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