Citabria Usable fuel in 26 gal system

[TWbugsmash]

I'm new to tailwheel and Citabrias. Got my endorsement and am renting a 1968 7eca with two 13 gallon wing tanks. I have searched Champion/Bellanca/ACA manuals and not found reference to the usable amount of fuel. The manuals address it for the 36 gal system and the TCDS lists unusable as one gallon for both the 36 and 39 systems.

The flight school created a calibrated stick (wooden dowel) in the three point attitude so that helps but they didn't run it dry. Some anecdotal information supports the 1 gallon unusable arguing the same pickup arrangements and one operator lists usable as 22 gallons.

Can anyone with a 26 gallon system provide data based on experience?

 

[Bob Turner]

In an 18-gallon nominal tank (per side/wing) on a Citabria, the usable fuel is 17.5 gallons per tank (giving 35 gallons usable out of 36 total on models with dual 18-gallon tanks).

• Total capacity per tank: 18 gallons
• Usable fuel per tank: 17.5 gallons
• Unusable fuel per tank: 0.5 gallons [1]

If you need help finding specs for a specific Citabria model year (like the 7ECA, 7GCAA, or 7GCBC), let me know!


AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19373972&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Excerpts+from+Citabria+POH+-+Fuel+System-Rel.pdf

 

[Bob Turner]

That, by the way, just pops up on the iPad. It is a relatively new thing, and I bet they start charging for its use - but right now you can get instant answers for just about anything in seconds.

It ould be wrong - but it does sound reasonable.