DIY (owner-assist) Remote Oxygen Tank with Pics

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Chris B
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DIY (owner-assist) Remote Oxygen Tank with Pics

Post by Chris B »

Prompted by the recent DA42 O2D2 oxygen thread (link), here is a remote O2 tank installation in our DA40. I stole this idea from someone on DAN, but don't recall the guilty party. ;)

Secure the AL-647 tank to the netting mounts in the baggage area:
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...and route the regulated output to the left of the copilot's knee:
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(rubber grommet not shown)

...where the O2D2 is mounted with strong interlocking-but-removable adhesive:
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One non-obvious change since installation is the addition of a union behind the side panel near the tank.
Eventually the tubing gets worn, which caused my only leak. The union makes it easy to replace this small section:
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This has been working great since 2013, and is so convenient that I regularly use oxygen at night and above ~8k. Refills at the local dive shop are less than $20, plus periodic inspections and hydrostatic tests.

Here is a full set of high-resolution pics: https://imgur.com/a/pQc3RHi

Chris
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astaib
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Re: DIY (owner-assist) Remote Oxygen Tank with Pics

Post by astaib »

Very interesting, thank you.

Even if it is installed with rubber and dual lock, is it considered as “removable” and thus OK regarding airworthiness?
I’m not sure that my inspector will allow this in France.

Other question, are the leather panel fixed with screws ? Mine are fixed with scratch on all the surrounding (my plane is a 2001 version).

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Chris B
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Re: DIY (owner-assist) Remote Oxygen Tank with Pics

Post by Chris B »

astaib wrote: Wed Dec 29, 2021 7:58 am Even if it is installed with rubber and dual lock, is it considered as “removable” and thus OK regarding airworthiness?
I’m not sure that my inspector will allow this in France.
My IA was not concerned about this at all. In fact, he liked the idea that it encourages more frequent O2 use. Not an "airworthiness" issue, but definitely relevant for safety.
Other question, are the leather panel fixed with screws ? Mine are fixed with scratch on all the surrounding (my plane is a 2001 version).
Yes, although except for the panel edge where the tubing egresses near the tank (hence the relief cut into the back), there is plenty of room for the tubing.

BTW, for panels with mounting screws, it is essential to use the correct screw length in each position. DAMHIKT. :oops:

Chris
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