King Air Fuel Gauge Markings

[byrmar]

Anyone know the reason for the white triangle markings around the fuel gauges on the King Air?

 

[kingairyahoo]

one tic mark = one hour fuel

 

[byrmar]

Kingairyahoo, that is what I had heard. I just wanted to seen what others said. I see you have some military experience. Are the triangles something that comes from the military?

 

[SansPlane]

Are the triangles something that comes from the military?

Geometry I think...

 

[kingairyahoo]

lol...no idea who decided triangles were cool...thats like asking what the logic is behind using BB, BL, FL, LJ, BT, BL, BJ, FE, FF, FA, BU, BP, BN etc for the various KA serial numbers

 

[NCherches]

anyone have a picture of these? Don't remember seeing them when I was flying the BE-200. ..

 

[kingairyahoo]

anyone have a picture of these? Don't remember seeing them when I was flying the BE-200. ..

...if you only flew one or two aircraft, thats understandable. as with other things, beech made little or no sense in that theres no rhyme nor reason to which aircraft have the markings, and which ones dont

 

[kingairyahoo]

heres a pic...

www.airwaysmuseum.com/aircraft%20images/Beech%20King%20Air%20350%20VH-FIX%20cockpit.jpg

...look VERY closely around the fuel gauge, you can barely see 5 evenly-spaced, white, triangle-shaped tic marks not actually ON the gauge itself, but on the black panel surrounding it.

...edit, direct link not allowed, copy and paste the address into your browser and it works jut fine

 

[goodgig]

I remember thinking it weird that the gauges were labeled LH and RH for left hand and right hand. Why not just left and right?

 

[kingairyahoo]

I remember thinking it weird that the gauges were labeled LH and RH for left hand and right hand. Why not just left and right?

well, i dunno about you...but i HATE it when i confuse my left hand (LH) with my left foot (LF)...

...lol

 

[satpak77]

I have over 1500 hours PIC in the 350 (not that it means anything) and I never used the markings.

I used fuel flow, FMS fuel calculations and the ole Casio watch... "we have been flying this long, so we need gas"

what fuel flow were those triangles calculated at?

who knows!

 

[kingairyahoo]

...wait until you get in a 350ER, it all means nothing when you can do 12 hour (yes i said 12 FLIPPIN hour) legs uke:

 

[IFLYHI]

http://www.mynetimages.com/235504d6.jpg
Here is a fuel guage panel from a 1975 King Air A-100. Sadly, these fuel guages were attached to the King Air that crashed in Utah recently. No triangles here.

http://www.mynetimages.com/dc353930.jpg
Here is a fuel guage panel from a 1980 King Air 200. This one has the triangles.

 

[noserider]

The triangles on my A100 indicate the max fuel qty for the mains and the aux tanks.

 

[satpak77]

...wait until you get in a 350ER, it all means nothing when you can do 12 hour (yes i said 12 FLIPPIN hour) legs uke:

dude you are killing me. 5 hours is enough in that seat. My right elbow has King Air armrest stamped into it. My left fingers and only hang onto the side window handle so many hours more

12 hours? kill me now

(12 hours in a BBJ would suck, a King Air???)

 

[NCherches]

None of the King Air's I have flown have had those triangles...

 

[Diesel]

I was told the triangles were to give reference to where the fuel gauges were when looking at them both.

For instance you have a two triangles plus a tick mark on one side and then you look over to make sure you have the triangle plus a tick mark. This way you don't have to count tick marks.

Take it for what its worth. Probably nothing.

 

[kingairyahoo]

I was told the triangles were to give reference to where the fuel gauges were when looking at them both.

For instance you have a two triangles plus a tick mark on one side and then you look over to make sure you have the triangle plus a tick mark. This way you don't have to count tick marks.

Take it for what its worth. Probably nothing.

well...im sure theres nothing wrong with using them that way either, but according to the gurus at Raytheon the triangles represent approximately one hour of fuel at cruise altitude and power. when pressed further for more info, they are not willing to give anymore than that because they are afraid some yahoo will go out, depend upon the triangles and land significantly short...resulting in a lawsuit for Beech.

 

[kingairyahoo]

dude you are killing me. 5 hours is enough in that seat. My right elbow has King Air armrest stamped into it. My left fingers and only hang onto the side window handle so many hours more

12 hours? kill me now

(12 hours in a BBJ would suck, a King Air???)

man...i understand, thrust me. and to be clear, 12 hours is loiter time, not honest flight from one point to another...that time is only about 8 hours