Fuel

The fuel system stores the fuel necessary to operate the helicopter and supplies the fuel to the power plant. It also monitors the fuel level and gives a low level indication. Drain lines are provided to return excessive fuel from the engine. Refer to Power Plant for details.

The fuel system consists of the systems that follow:

• Storage

• Distribution

• Fuel indicating

Storage

The storage system stores a sufficient quantity of fuel for normal helicopter operation. It has a filler port to fill it with fuel. It has vents to the atmosphere that prevent pressurization that could damage the fuel cell and the helicopter structure, and also the fuel cell from collapsing when the fuel level changes with temperature and normal operation. The vents have rollover valves that prevent the fuel from escaping through them if the helicopter ever rolled over during a crash or ground operations. It has a drain to collect a sample of fuel to examine it for the presence of contaminants such as water, and to remove the remaining fuel when the storage system is defueled.

Distribution

The distribution system supplies the stored fuel to the engine. It also provides a way to shut off the fuel supply.

Fuel indicating

The fuel indicating system provides an indication of the fuel level and a signal to warn of a low fuel condition. It consists of the fuel level probe and low level sensor. Refer to Indicating/Recording System.