ahmad
Pre-takeoff checklist
I can not find a fuel dip stick to purchase for my 13 gal cessna 150. Helllllp!
Cessna 150 fuel stick
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kgruber
Final Approach
Pilot172
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That link does not help. They don't make one specifically for the 150 that I could find. I use the Fuelhawk 152 and compared to the stick that came with my 150, which looks like a really old Fuelhawk style stick with a metal scale in the tube. That old stick does say Cessna 150 on it, not 152. The 152 stick reads 1 gal higher at 10gal and about 2gal higher at 1gal. The Fuelhawk has about 1/2" of dead stick below "0gal' (maybe unusable fuel, or reserve?), the old 150 stick starts right at 0gal at the bottom.
Dan Thomas
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A little lesson on usable and unusable fuel might be in order.
The TCDs for all the 150s has this:
And for the 152 it has this:
Unusable fuel is what is left in the tanks and won't flow out to the engine in the most inconvenient attitude, such as a Vx climb or a full-flap, power-off landing. The 150's tank outlet was just aft of the center of the inboard side of the tank, so that with the nose way up or down, the "unusable" amount would all be pooled behind (or ahead of) that point and the engine would quit if that's all the tank had in it.
The 152's tanks had outlets at front and rear, reducing the unusable to a total of 1.5 gallons, or 3/4 of a gallon in each tank. The 150's unusable of 3.5 gallons means 1.75 gallons in each tank that you can't count on.
The placard near the fuel fillers will give total capacity, or 13 gallons per tank. The fuel shutoff placard will give the total usable fuel, and in your case it will be 22.5 gallons. You do not want a dipstick calibrated in total fuel (13 gallons) or you risk running out before the end of the flight. That's why the 152 stick reads zero some distance above the bottom of the tank.
The 150's and 152's tank bottoms are really flat, so if the nose oleo is low, or if the airplane is nose-down on a slope, you will read something on the stick even though it's not usable in flight. Dipsticking is only accurate if the airplane is on a level surface and the oleo is at the recommended pressure, and the baggage compartment isn't loaded up with max baggage weight. All stuff to watch our for.
The TCDS:
https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/A2454FDC5FFA7B7D8625816900659753.0001
The TCDs for all the 150s has this:
And for the 152 it has this:
Unusable fuel is what is left in the tanks and won't flow out to the engine in the most inconvenient attitude, such as a Vx climb or a full-flap, power-off landing. The 150's tank outlet was just aft of the center of the inboard side of the tank, so that with the nose way up or down, the "unusable" amount would all be pooled behind (or ahead of) that point and the engine would quit if that's all the tank had in it.
The 152's tanks had outlets at front and rear, reducing the unusable to a total of 1.5 gallons, or 3/4 of a gallon in each tank. The 150's unusable of 3.5 gallons means 1.75 gallons in each tank that you can't count on.
The placard near the fuel fillers will give total capacity, or 13 gallons per tank. The fuel shutoff placard will give the total usable fuel, and in your case it will be 22.5 gallons. You do not want a dipstick calibrated in total fuel (13 gallons) or you risk running out before the end of the flight. That's why the 152 stick reads zero some distance above the bottom of the tank.
The 150's and 152's tank bottoms are really flat, so if the nose oleo is low, or if the airplane is nose-down on a slope, you will read something on the stick even though it's not usable in flight. Dipsticking is only accurate if the airplane is on a level surface and the oleo is at the recommended pressure, and the baggage compartment isn't loaded up with max baggage weight. All stuff to watch our for.
The TCDS:
https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/A2454FDC5FFA7B7D8625816900659753.0001
samiamPA
Pre-takeoff checklist
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samiamPA
There are no commercially available sticks. If you join the Cessna 150 club (best money a 150 owner can spend), they have an old newsletter with instructions on how to make an accurate one from a paint stick. It is based on usable fuel.
Dan Thomas
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Very strange, considering the vast numbers of 150s still in use.
Kevin Holbrook
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Mountainlover
FuelStik for Cessna
Big fan of these. They come with instructions to make your own insert if necessary.
Big fan of these. They come with instructions to make your own insert if necessary.
Flyhound
Pre-takeoff checklist
You don't need a C-150 specific fuel stick. Get a generic stick with a simple numbering system like this one: Generic fuel stick
Run one tank down and add fuel 1-2 gallons at a time. Measure the indicated number on the generic stick result after each fuel addition and write the reading down. Repeat until the tank is full. Once the tank is full, you know how many gallons that is. Now create a table with the reading when the tank is full and the number of gallons that is. Next, input the next to last reading from the generic fuel stick and subtract 1 (or 2) gallons from the full tank number depending on how much fuel you added each iteration. Repeat this until you get back to the first batch of fuel you added. Plot the stick readings versus fuel quantity calculated. The resulting curve will can be extrapolated to represent the stick readings and resulting fuel quantity below where you started the process. It is plenty accurate and it gives you a stick you can use on multiple airplanes. I've had my generic stick for 3 airplanes I've owned and am still happy with it.
Run one tank down and add fuel 1-2 gallons at a time. Measure the indicated number on the generic stick result after each fuel addition and write the reading down. Repeat until the tank is full. Once the tank is full, you know how many gallons that is. Now create a table with the reading when the tank is full and the number of gallons that is. Next, input the next to last reading from the generic fuel stick and subtract 1 (or 2) gallons from the full tank number depending on how much fuel you added each iteration. Repeat this until you get back to the first batch of fuel you added. Plot the stick readings versus fuel quantity calculated. The resulting curve will can be extrapolated to represent the stick readings and resulting fuel quantity below where you started the process. It is plenty accurate and it gives you a stick you can use on multiple airplanes. I've had my generic stick for 3 airplanes I've owned and am still happy with it.
buzzard86
Pre-takeoff checklist
FWIW, the 152 FuelHawk stick was spot on for usable fuel in my 150M.
Pilot172
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I just did my first fill up on my 150M. I compared the Fuelhawk 152 to the fuel stick that came with my plane, (which looks like a Fuelhawk, but thinner, has a metal insert, and actually says C150 on it). The C150 stick is dead on, 0 - 13 gallons, but zero starts at the bottom (does not account for the 1.75 non-useable fuel). Setting the 2 sticks side by side, the Fuelhawk 152 reads zero at the point the C150 stick reads just under 2gal (dead on for usuable fuel). At full tanks, the C150 stick reads 13gal (true total gallons, but counting non-usable fuel) and the Fuelhawk reads 12.5. The reading at full should be 11.25, accounting for non-usable fuel. So the Fuelhawk 152 is dead on at lower ranges (under 4gal), about 0.5gal high in the middle ranges, and 1gal high at higher ranges (above 8gal or so). If you want to use the Fuelhawk 152 in the 150, just subtract 1gal from the reading for all ranges to be on the safe side, but know it reads true at the low range.