Questions tagged [fuel-tanks]

Large cavities that store fuel, typically in the wings and/or belly of the plane.

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Is there any information regarding the combustion efficiency of LH2 over kerosene?

Taking as reference the airbus A220 it needs around 22000 lt of kerosene to be filled. Is there a rough analogy of how much LH2 would the same aircraft need to operate in similar ranges. Of course ...
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Is there a known problem with the Airbus A340, fuel, flaps/slats and temperature?

From the press I read that the German minister of foreign affairs stranded with an Airbus A340 in Abu Dhabi, because the flaps or slats would not correctly retract. To return to the airport they had ...
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Do fuel tanks need to be pressurized?

Do fuel tanks need to be pressurized? It's my understanding that the pressure difference between the outside air and the inside fuel would force the kerosene out of the fuel tank. What stops this from ...
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Could the Lightning's overwing fuel tanks be safely jettisoned in flight?

The English Electric Lightning could be equipped with removable overwing external fuel tanks (I believe the only aircraft ever built with this feature). English Electric Lightning F6 source Were they ...
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Can I legally put non-approved fuel into unused airframe fuel tanks?

I was thinking about getting some unleaded to a Rotax engine, and realized I could ferry some UL94 in the tip tanks of something like a Bonanza. Not that it really matters in real life, but let's say ...
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How many fuel vents are there in DA40NG airplanes? (Tank Air Outlet)

How many fuel vents (Tank Air Outlet) are there in DA40NG airplanes? I wonder how many there are under each wing surface. I know that the hole on the round cover we see in the first photo is "...
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How can I determine the fuel temperature in the tanks of an Airbus A320 during climb?

I know that, for example, at 10000ft the outer temperature is around $-10\, ^\circ\! C$. How can I calculate the fuel temperature in the tanks? In technical notes I find on the internet for Airbus ...
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Is more information available about missionary pilot Nate Saint's backup fuel system described in "Through Gates of Splendor"?

I'm currently reading the book Through Gates of Splendor, and at one point (pages 61-63 in the first edition, about halfway through Chapter 5), it describes a system invented by missionary pilot Nate ...
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When, if ever, did the 767 move to floatsticks?

I was looking over the wiki article on the Gimli Glider and noticed updates exchanged the term "floatstick" where "dripstick" was previously used. I had not heard this term but a ...
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Can the ECS pipe/hose run through the aircraft fuel tank?

Hope you can help? We are in the process of redefining aircraft fuel tank and there might be a possibility that we may need to run the ECS (Environmental control system) pipe through the fuel tank? ...
Snezana knowles's user avatar
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747 Fuel Drain Ports

I read about the fuel systems on aircraft for a project I'm working on, and I was wondering about the "fuel drain ports" mentioned, which the document stated were used for complete drainage ...
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Understanding fuel tanks/pumps of Fighter jet

I have observed fighter jets performing maneuvers like inverting, Turing around in sharp angles etc. This may subject plane to G forces and other dynamic forces. How does fuel tank ensure steady ...
Sohail Khan's user avatar
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When drop tanks (those with external lines) are released, how are the two connections (air and fuel) released?

ww2aircraft.net Say in a P-51 (shown above), when drop tanks (those with external lines) are released, how are the two connections (air and fuel) released? Do they shear off and fall with the tank? ...
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What should I do if I get a fuel vent blockage in flight?

I'm flying C172s, and I have a question. During flight if a fuel vent (located on the left side) becomes blocked due to a bird strike or icing what should I do? Are there any auxiliary fuel vents?
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DA40 avgas leakage on filling

New owner of a 2012 DA40 50 gal fuel capacity.(Also new to aviation!) Recently was having the right wing filled from about 14 gal and lineman stopped within 4 gal when he noted a puddle on ground. ...
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How does a fuel density sensor work? (densitometer, cadensicon)

While some fuel volume sensors use ultrasonic measurements this answer to How is fuel mass measured in airliners? says: The FCOM lists the sensors involved in this measurement: The FQI system ...
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Where are the small fuel reservoir tanks on a Cessna P210N?

I have looked through the POH and the maintenance manual of the Cessna P210N, both said that the fuel goes from the main tanks into two small reservoir tanks somewhere on the lower side of the ...
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What extra components does a fuel tank have?

For small-to-mid-size aircraft like V-280, and gulfstream aircraft, what component does their fuel tank has when it arrives for assembly? Is it just a metal box with valves? Or it contains heating ...
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Which was the first aeroplane to have fuel tanks within its wings?

Wings with substantial thickness start appearing after WW1, with Junkers pioneering all-aluminium aircraft such as the Junkers F 13 (1919). It as a far from universal trend, however; compare with the ...
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Use of a solenoid valve over a selector valve

When designing a low-wing light aircraft with two integral tanks at the wings and a collector tank in between, what type of valve should be used to allow the pilot to select the integral tank which ...
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Can I assume that AVGAS can be used without any problem when the engine manual suggests RON 95 or higher?

Can AVGAS 100 LL be used without any problem in Rotax 912i engine which suggests a fuel with RON 95 or higher? What would be the advantages of using AVGAS over unleaded RON 95 gasoline?
Enes Senel's user avatar
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Did WW2 airplanes ever jettison their empty external fuel tanks to act as weapons?

Jettisoning an external fuel tank over a populated area is prohibited by the FAA as it will almost certainly cause injury and damage to the people in that area. But did war airplanes during World War ...
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What is the structural impact on the wing if no fuel is stored in the wings and just in the fuselage?

What is the structural impact on the wing if no fuel is stored in the wings and just in the fuselage and how to counter possible advantages/disadvantages? Has this topic already been researched?
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How large are the CF-100 Canuck wingtip fuel tanks?

How big are the CF-100 Canuck's wingtip fuel tanks and what is the maximum fuel capacity they can carry?
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How were the fuel tanks sealed on the XB-70 Valkyrie?

The Valkyrie flew at Mach 3.1, close to the SR-71's operating speed in cruise. For the SR-71: Fuselage panels were manufactured to fit only loosely with the aircraft on the ground. Proper alignment ...
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How do fuel tanks prevent free surface effect? [duplicate]

Free Surface Effect is a fancy term that refers to liquids changing their relative orientation within a container, whenever the container is rotated. So imagine a large plane banking very steeply, at ...
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How can adverse maneuverability due to a fuel tank behind the rear pressure bulkhead be mitigated in Airbus ZeroE hydrogen plane?

Airbus recently announced three concept aircraft for commercial use, powered by liquid hydrogen, with an ambition to have the plane in operation by 2035. https://www.airbus.com/innovation/zero-...
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Where are the fuel tanks located in an Antonov An-225?

Does anyone have answer for where the fuel tanks are located on the Antonov An-225? (photo attached for explanation if anyone could) Would love to know how many tanks are on the aircraft and how the ...
bdpaviation's user avatar
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How is fuel drawn from drop tanks in WW2 airplanes?

Low-wing tanks typically have fuel supply lines at the bottom. For external drop tanks, I thought they came built with internal lines that mate with the plane. That appears to be the case for ...
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Where does the MiG-29 store fuel?

How does the MiG-29 fuel system work? Like, where does it store around 300 cubic feet of fuel? Also, which fuel does it use? Is JP4 preferable?
Adeel Ahsan's user avatar
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What are the pros and cons of wingtip tanks?

I am looking into the aerodynamic pros and cons of wingtip tanks. Let's assume they're perfectly streamlined, optimally placed and sized for a given airframe. I am aware of the purpose of fuel ...
Darren-Edward O'Neill's user avatar
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May an A330 depart with with empty outer fuel tanks?

Airbus does not recommend flying with empty outer tanks, to reduce stress on the wings. Also, when the outer tank transfer valve is inoperative, the MEL says to fill the outer tanks with fuel and it ...
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What sort of debris has been found in 737 Max fuel tanks?

There have been numerous reports of Boeing finding "foreign object debris" in the fuel tanks of its 737 Max airliners. It's not clear what this debris is. It could range from a couple of missing ...
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What would happen when the fuel tank of a Cessna 172 became (partial) vacuum during horizontal flight?

Let's say we are flying a piston engine high wing airplane (Cessna 172) that uses a carburetor. What would happen when the fuel tank of a Cessna 172 became (partial) vacuum during horizontal flight?
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Why was the B-52's wet wing more susceptible to fatigue than its dry wing, and not less?

After years of carrying all its fuel in the fuselage, the B-52 transitioned to a wet wing (where the wing structure is used as one or more fuel tanks) with the B-52G. This caused severe problems with ...
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Why did Lockheed Martin give the F-22 stealth fighter such small fuel tanks?

Why did Lockheed Martin give the F-22 stealth fighter such small fuel tanks while the F-35 got much more fuel capacity relative to its size and single jet engine?
George Clooney In a Mooney's user avatar
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Why are tip tanks used? [duplicate]

The answer to this question identifies the "pods" as tip tanks. Why do manufacturers sometimes use tip tanks rather than wing tanks? Or is it only when the wing isn't large enough to hold the desired ...
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What determines a plane's range?

When a planes maximum range is specified, is fuel [capacity] the only constraint or what else is taken into account? Would it always or ever be the case that a greater fuel capacity will increase ...
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Are there design guidelines for sizing vent/surge tanks?

Could someone explain the sizing process of Vent/ Surge tank of Aircraft fuel system? I understand the Vent tank is to collect fuel overflow from the main fuel tanks. The reason could be due to Fuel ...
hydraulist's user avatar
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Where are the fuel tank sumps on an Aquila A210?

When I drain the fuel I have to do it three times: In addition to the drainer openings on both undersides of the wing and under the front fuselage (3 times in total). Can you tell or show me where ...
epus's user avatar
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What type of aircraft did these drop tanks come from?

I am trying to identify what type of plane my two recently acquired drop tanks came from. They measure 23" in diameter and about 12' long. Made of aluminum and "ALCOA" appears in raised letters on the ...
ron's user avatar
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Why are fuel tanks located in wings?

Passenger aircraft have fuel tanks in the wings. Why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this location ? examples of disadvantages I would suspect: added weight increases the structural ...
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Why do the A320's centre tank pumps stop working 5 minutes after the low level has been reached?

I'm new here and I'm in training course for Airbus A320. In the training material, it's said that the centre tank pumps are controlled to stop automatically 5 mins after the low level fuel has been ...
dingdingdong's user avatar
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How do they fill fuel in big aircraft?

Being a passenger, I usually will have view from only one side of these planes and hence don't know if same thing is happening on other side of the plane. I have observed hoses connected to wings, but ...
user871199's user avatar
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22 votes
6 answers
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Is there a tank priority sequence for using the fuel tanks?

Is there a tank priority sequence for using the fuel tanks, or does the pilot decide?
TestUser's user avatar
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3 answers
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How the fuel in the wings is managed in case of an engine failure?

Consider an aircraft has fuel tanks only in wings (No central tank). Will the fuel for the respective engines will be consumed from the respective wings? In case of a single engine failure, if the ...
arunkum96's user avatar
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5 answers
7k views

What could the fuel pump failure have been that my flight experienced?

I was on an Easyjet flight (I think an A320), when mid-flight, I overheard a member of cabin crew tell another passenger there was a 'technical' issue with the aircraft, that might make us slightly ...
Cloud's user avatar
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Would it have been feasible to install 'conformal fuel tanks' on the Mercure?

The Dassault Mercure was a short-range twin-jet airliner. It was canceled with sales not reaching the breakeven point. Other similar jetliners like the Boeing 737 had a more convenient longer range. ...
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Why do aerobatic aircraft have separate tanks instead of a single acrotank?

I've been reading about fuel tanks in aerobatic planes such as the Extra 330, Edge 540, XA41 and I don't really understand why in the Extra 330 there are separated center tanks and an acrotank instead ...
user30728's user avatar
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How does the FAA define fuel capacity for ultralights?

Ultralights under FAR 103 are regulated to a capacity of 5 gallons. I'm wondering how exactly fuel capacity is defined, does it include fuel in the lines, and in the carburetor bowl or elsewhere or ...
Nile River's user avatar