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Fuel In The Tail Plane

Kaitak744 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2210 posts, RR: 3
Posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 2668 times:

Is it possible to put fuel in the vertical stabilizers and tail of an aircraft? And do airlines do so? From what I heard, the vertical stabilizers on the A380 are bigger than the A310 wing. So that would be a great place or fuel and would give a significant range boost.

15 replies: All unread, jump to last

Utapao From Thailand, joined Jul 2005, 645 posts, RR: 9
Reply 1, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 2660 times:

Depending on the amount, it could sure wreak havoc on weight and balance!

Sawasdee khrab!

AS739X From United States of America, joined Apr 2003, 5834 posts, RR: 23
Reply 2, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 2656 times:

That would create a aweful weight and balance issue as well as would create structural problems. The tremendous weight to make the tail strong enough would add just to much dead weight.

ASSFO

"Some pilots avoid storm cells and some play connect the dots!"

N766UA From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 8008 posts, RR: 27
Reply 3, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 2650 times:

I could swear Boeing was putting fuel in the tail section of the 777LR. Maybe I'm imagining things?

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PhilSquares From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 4, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 2646 times:

The 744 has fuel in the horizontal stabilizer. IIRC, it's standard on the pax version and an option on the ERF.

Fxra From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 683 posts, RR: 2
Reply 5, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 2626 times:

MD-11's have a tail tank in the horizontal stabs. It helps with inflight CG to keep the aircraft in the optimum flight profile. If you plan to depart with fuel back there, better load the nose up. And once in flight when the CG starts to move forward as fuel is transferrred out fo the tanks, the flight begins to burn more fuel as it no longer has aft CG thats more economical.

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FI642 From Monaco, joined Mar 2005, 1059 posts, RR: 2
Reply 6, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 2500 times:

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The wet tail on MD11's is a great thing, as long as the fuel management system is working!

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Kaitak744 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2210 posts, RR: 3
Reply 7, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 2407 times:

Well, it definately would increase range by alot. But thanks for the answers!

RupesNZ From New Zealand, joined May 2004, 105 posts, RR: 0
Reply 8, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 2384 times:

If you refer to pg 37 of the 747 AIRPLANE RESCUE AND FIRE FIGHTING INFORMATION guide ( http://www.boeing.com/assocproducts/aircompat/arff/arff747.pdf )

The Boeing 747-400 Passenger and Freighter version have fuel tanks in the horizontal stabilisers of 3300 gallons, with a surge tank in the starboard stabilizer tip.

The 777 only has fuel in the wings and in the wing root area with the 200LR series with an addional 1850 gallon tank in the belly.

( http://www.boeing.com/assocproducts/aircompat/arff/arff777.pdf )

Cheers
Rupert

RupesNZ From New Zealand, joined May 2004, 105 posts, RR: 0
Reply 9, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 2374 times:

Quoting RupesNZ (Reply 8):
The Boeing 747-400 Passenger and Freighter version have fuel tanks in the horizontal stabilisers of 3300 gallons, with a surge tank in the starboard stabilizer tip.

Oops, that should have been 747-400 Passenger and Combi versions!

Mainliner From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 367 posts, RR: 0
Reply 10, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 2343 times:

The A310-300 also carries fuel in its horizontal stabilizer.

Every flight counts.

Utapao From Thailand, joined Jul 2005, 645 posts, RR: 9
Reply 11, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 2307 times:

An appropriate amount of crow has been consumed!!!

I would never have believed that fuel in the tail would not have had an aircraft standing on its tail after lifting off.

Fortunately I said "could wreak havoc"... but guess that sounds like a cop-out.

Thanks for the info!!!

Sawasdee khrab!

PurpleBox From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 321 posts, RR: 0
Reply 12, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2163 times:

Quoting Kaitak744 (Thread starter):
Is it possible to put fuel in the vertical stabilizers and tail of an aircraft? And do airlines do so? From what I heard, the vertical stabilizers on the A380 are bigger than the A310 wing. So that would be a great place or fuel and would give a significant range boost.

Yes it is possible - but there needs to be a 'Fight Trim' computer that is responsible for pumping fuel around the aircraft's tanks so as to keep the center of gravity correct.

Next Flights:BHX-INV-BHX(BE), STN-KRK(FR), KTW-STN(FR), LHR-CPT(SA), WDH-JNB-LHR(SA)

Maddy From Germany, joined Aug 2004, 164 posts, RR: 0
Reply 13, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2146 times:

Today I saw a documentation about LH´s A340-600 and the captain said that they can pump up to 6 tons of fuel into the vertical stabilizer to equilibrate the plane. I´m not sure but I guess it was like that.

Vc10 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2001, 1386 posts, RR: 17
Reply 14, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2145 times:

The Super VC-10 had fuel in the Fin [vertical stabilizer ] and it had a flight trim computer called the Flight Engineer. It is a sad thing but very little is new

Be happy little vc10

BCAL From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2004, 3384 posts, RR: 18
Reply 15, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2128 times:

Quoting Vc10 (Reply 14):
The Super VC-10 had fuel in the Fin

and I am sure that so did the Trident 2 and later versions.

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