Airplane Fuel Selector Valve Control for Armless Pilots

Jessica Cox is a graduate of the University of Arizona and the world’s first armless pilot. She initially trained in and currently flies an Ercoupe. This airplane does not have rudder pedals, which allows Jessica to control the airplane and work the radios/navigation equipment with her feet. Jessica and her husband are currently working on building a Van’s RV10, a larger, 4-seat airplane that is faster and more capable than an Ercoupe. Two years ago, a senior design team successfully developed a control system that allowed for 6-axis control of the airplane using foot pedals that also allow Jessica to control the navigation aids and radios. Last year a team worked on designing a door for the airplane. There are numerous additional modifications that need to be made to facilitate safe use of this airplane. This year the project will involve design of a fuel control valve for the RV10. The requirements will include the ability to change the fuel valve to select from the right or left tank and put the valve in the shutoff position in the case of emergency. In addition to allowing Jessica to manually select the valve position while seated, automated control of the valve should be incorporated to automate valve positioning based on fuel flow.