Questions tagged [fuel-tanks]

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

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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
13 votes
1 answer
3k views

How are fuel tanks cleaned out?

One episode of the BBC series "Engineering Giants" featured a BA 747 undergoing a multi-week "D check". Here the inside of a fuel tank was surprisingly clean and dry (to me): ...
Tom Goodfellow's user avatar
23 votes
3 answers
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In WW2, were self-sealing fuel tanks really cost-beneficial?

I just read this question and answer, which seems to confirm my fears that an incendiary bullet will still destroy you if it hits your fuel. In other words, a self-sealing fuel tank will not protect ...
DrZ214's user avatar
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5 votes
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Is there any particular reason the A380 doesn't have a centre wing tank?

Today I learnt something new, but apparently the A380 has no centre wing tank, which leads me to ask, is there a specific, design reason for this? Or did Airbus just think those huge wings were big ...
Piranha Lama's user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
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Is the entire length of a B747 or A380 wing used as a fuel tank?

It is generally understood that the fuel tanks of aircraft are in the wings, but specifically, is the entire length of the the wing of: an Airbus A380 Jumbo used as fuel tank? a Boeing 747-800 Jumbo ...
securitydude5's user avatar
4 votes
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How much fuel does an A380 hold and where?

How much fuel does an A380 usually carry (in litres) and what is the maximum? How much is in each wing? How much is in other fuel tanks and where are they?
securitydude5's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
6k views

Is center tank fuel required to start the 737-800 engines?

I have been doing some simulation flights with the 737-800 and when there is no fuel in the center tank, the engines won't start. Is it like that in real life?
Alberto Nieto's user avatar
23 votes
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Have any operational aircraft ever used over wing fuel tanks?

We are most familiar with under wing fuel tanks, has any operational aircraft ever used over wing fuel tanks?
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What would happen if you shot an F-16's fuel tank? [closed]

Let's suppose you have a 20mm sniper rifle and shoot the internal fuel tank of an F-16 coming directly towards you. What would happen ?
Delta Oscar Uniform's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
3k views

Is there any work on improving fuel tanks so they could store hydrogen?

I think that hydrogen is among the best fuels for use in supersonic and hypersonic flight, is there any work on improving fuel tanks so they could store hydrogen? What would be the best state to ...
securitydude5's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
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Do large aircraft accumulate water in their tanks?

Do large aircraft accumulate water in their tanks? If so, how is it drained? How often is it drained? At what rate per hour does it accumulate? If not what was done to circumvent the problem?
securitydude5's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
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How is that there is no leak through the fuel vents during aerobatics maneuvers?

Can anyone tell me how aircraft such as jet fighters and stunt planes design the fuel tank vent system to prevent fuel leaking through the vents when performing aerobatics, 360 flips and complex ...
Chris James's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
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How many tanks does an A350 have?

How many tanks are there on an A350? Where are they located? Is it a common configuration among large aircraft?
Anaelle's user avatar
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14 votes
4 answers
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How are wing tanks sealed around the internal wing structure?

I can easily grasp the idea of tanks of fuel inside the fuselage of an aircraft, and the ease of sealing such tanks in a relatively standard shape. However, I'm having a hard time understanding how ...
Milwrdfan's user avatar
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How does switching off pumps and putting on MAN switch resolve low pressure?

FUEL If the center tank is less than 200 kg (440 lb) for the flight: Apply the following procedure, if your airline is affected by FUEL CTR TK PUMPS LO PR cautions on ground or in flight when the ...
Jai's user avatar
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Is fuel moved around during flight on a passenger or cargo plane? If so why?

Is fuel moved around during flight on a passenger or cargo plane? If so why? Is balance an issue?
Sarah's user avatar
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How often are drop tanks actually dropped?

I know drop tanks are used to extend the range on many fighter jets, but how often are they actually detached from the plane once empty? A lot of WWII movies and documentaries show tanks being dropped ...
cat40's user avatar
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Would fuel quantity indications be affected by extended flight at nonzero bank angles?

If flying with a 20kt crosswind requiring yaw input as well as roll input to maintain course, would the fuel indicators show different loads depending on the roll angle of the aircraft (in this case, ...
Derek's user avatar
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72 votes
6 answers
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Why are fuel tanks in the wings filled first, and why are they used last?

When fueling airliners, why is fuel filled first in the tanks in the wings and then the center tanks? And why do they use fuel from the center tanks first and then from the tanks in the wings? From ...
lemonincider's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
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How are fuel tanks tested and certified?

What ground tests are carried out for testing and certifying wing fuel tanks for use in passenger aircraft? Is there any chamber to simulate flight conditions? If so, how is the chamber constructed?
Kanaga Senthil Raja's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

What fuels can turbofans burn?

I know that Jet-A is the fuel most often used for turbofans, but is there something else that these engines can burn? (ethanol, LPG, methane, butane, 100LL, etc.) Basically, can a turbofan burn ...
Nicholas's user avatar
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What is a fuel tank float valve and how does it work?

This report on dodbuzz mentions a 'fuel tank float valve'. Neither google nor StackExchange seem to know what it is. What is it, why is it necessary?
mike's user avatar
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How is fuel removed from a light aircraft if required for weight and balance?

With small, light aircraft, weight is always a consideration. Say you had a four-place single engine aircraft that you wanted to take yourself and three of your (non-FAA-standard weight) friends, but ...
Canuk's user avatar
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5 votes
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Are there certain areas where a pilot can jettison his/her external fuel tanks?

When a pilot feels the need to jettison their external fuel tanks, do they have to wait until they are above a certain area, or can they just drop them wherever they please?
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What are the general problems faced for maintenance in fuel inerting systems?

Currently most of the nitrogen generation systems have Air Seperation Modules (ASM) and other associated mechanical components to generate Nitrogen Enriched Air. Hence, are there any inherent ...
kp11's user avatar
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Do fuel tank locations on the wing cause a potential for weight imbalance?

I have a question about fuel tanks in an older plane like a P-36C Hawk and a P-26B-35. The fuel tanks in the P-26 are placed in the wings and in the P-36C Hawk its under the pilot and behind him. For ...
Martin's user avatar
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21 votes
6 answers
10k views

Can a wide body airliner land safely with a full fuel tank?

Can a commercial double-aisle jet aircraft (e.g., 777, A330) land safely with a full fuel tank (minus the fuel spent on taxing and takeoff)? Has that ever happened?
Raw N's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
710 views

How does the MiG-23 fuel system work?

In what order are the fuel tanks on the MiG-23 used? In other words, which tank is used first, then second etc.?
Salem Eltawerghi's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why does flying inverted in a jet trainer starve the engine of fuel when there's a pump?

Such planes have an engine-driven fuel pump. If the pump isn't strong enough, wouldn't suction feeding assist? How does a modern fighter jet / aerobatic plane overcome this? Also, any general ...
user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
2k views

Was there a design flaw in the fuel tanks of the MiG-15/17/19/21?

Wikipedia article on MiG-15: Another major design deficit was that the tank could develop under-pressure if more than half the fuel had been used, which could easily lead to tank implosions, ...
DrZ214's user avatar
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12 votes
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What is the capacity of the vent surge tank in an A320?

If the wing tanks of an A320 are fully filled and the fuel expands due to high temperatures then the fuel overflows into the vent tank. My question is, does the fuel get stored in the vent tank? If ...
Jehan Ichhaporia's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
622 views

Is there a backup to fuel inerting systems?

I've heard it said many times that "everything has a backup" in commercial planes. What about the fuel inerting system (injecting nitrogen in the fuel tank). Does it have a backup? Is it somehow ...
DrZ214's user avatar
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12 votes
4 answers
2k views

Can we eliminate the center tank of large passenger planes?

This is a safety question about fuel and fires. This all regards commercial aviation for large passenger planes. Most fuel is stored in the wings, but in the largest planes, there's also a center ...
DrZ214's user avatar
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10 votes
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What to do with excess fuel before flight?

I've read that it's recommended to store a plane with full fuel tanks to prevent water contamination. Some small general aviation planes, however, would exceed their maximum gross take off weight ...
Peter's user avatar
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16 votes
1 answer
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Why isn't testing fuel flow from both tanks a run-up checklist item?

On most single engine GA aircraft, testing both mags is always on the checklist. For a plane (like a Mooney M20) that doesn't have a "both" selector, it would seem prudent to throw the switch to ...
Greg Taylor's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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Does the 300 hp IO550 conversion require an auxiliary tank on the Cessna 182?

Does the 300 hp conversion with a continental IO 550 always require an auxiliary tank when used on a Cessna 182? I see some of these conversions indicate an auxiliary tank is present under pilot seat ...
Chris HSI's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
10k views

What is the role of baffles in Fuel Tanks? [duplicate]

I think there are many baffles inside the shape of Fuel tank. What kind of advantage they do? Do they help in managing the oscillations in-flight?
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4 votes
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Does the cockpit have an alarm to warn about fuel leakage?

Is there any indication to the crew of the aircraft about any potential leakage of fuel from any part of the plane?
NitinG's user avatar
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-2 votes
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Which commercial jet aircraft have the option to install ACT (Additional Center Tank)?

Which commercial jet aircraft have the option to install ACT (Additional Center Tank)? I think A321 has this option but I am not sure which other commercial jets have this option or this can be done ...
NitinG's user avatar
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10 votes
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How does fuel get to the engine during acrobatics?

Given that during acrobatics, extreme G-forces may be impressed upon the fuel tank, wouldn't it make it somewhat difficult for fuel to get to the fuel pump while it's being pushed against a specific ...
Sargun Dhillon's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
6k views

How is engine fuel kept from freezing? [duplicate]

The following table shows the operating temperature of Jet fuels (Source http://www.skybrary.aero/) I know a lot of flights will be cancelled during bad weather conditions including the cold. How is ...
Lucky's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
3k views

Can fuel be stored in the anti-shock bodies?

lets say an airplane needs to get to a certain route but doesnt have the fuel to do and it needs to store in the anti-shock bodies. Is it possible?
Ethan's user avatar
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24 votes
3 answers
6k views

Could airliners' wings be thinner if no fuel were stored in them?

I ask this question because wings are pretty thin overall, but I am curious if you could make them more thin.
Ethan's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
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Where is the fuel stored on an aircraft’s wing?

Maybe guys could provide me with a picture I originally thought the anti-shock pads were fuel tanks, but somebody recently told me that they are stored in the wing, so where are they stored at. The ...
Ethan's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
1k views

Would hydrogen fuel tanks on an airplane increase lift?

Since hydrogen is lighter than air, would hydrogen fuel tanks help provide lift for the airplane?
Ethan's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
1k views

What are the differences between intertank valve and crossfeed valve?

Regarding the fuel system in an aircraft, I read that there are two valves: the intertank valve and the crossfeed valve. They are both motor driven butterfly type valve which function is to allow ...
Gianni Alessandro's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is the working principle of anti-explosion fuel tanks?

I recently read a question about Anti Explosion fuel tanks which are self sealing. But the technology seemed to be too old after a bit of research, and that it was difficult to apply this age old ...
Damalani Singh's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

How prevalent are anti-explosion bladders in fuel tanks?

Some aircraft fuel tanks are fitted or retro-fitted with internal bladders, to prevent fuel evaporating inside the tank. I've heard of this being a requirement for at least one type, perhaps because ...
Dan Hulme's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
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What is trimming the fuel tank?

In a recent news article on an Airbus A400M crash, it has the following line: Sources have told Aviation Week that aircraft MSN23, destined for Turkey, featured new software that would trim the ...
Quazi Irfan's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
594 views

Do airplanes have vapor recovery systems for refuelling?

Related to the question regarding pressure refuelling and this one regarding fuel vapors at large airports. Refuelling an airplane involves putting fuel into tanks which are "empty" but are in fact ...
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