The reason to have left only and right only options is to allow pilots to balance fuel load to reduce the banking moment. Some Cessna airplanes feed only from both tanks and many have the option to feed from left, right, or both tanks. Many aircraft have the left tank and right tank selections available to the pilot. The second function is to allow the pilot to choose which tank feeds the engine. This is required to provide the crew with a means to prevent fuel reaching the engine in case of an engine fire. The first function is to act as a fuel shut-off valve. įuel is piped through fuel lines to a fuel control valve (usually known as the fuel selector). A single-engine piston aircraft has a simple fuel system a tanker (such as the KC-135), in addition to managing its own fuel, can also provide fuel to other aircraft.
Fuel systems differ greatly due to different performance of the aircraft in which they are installed. JSTOR ( June 2010) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Īn aircraft fuel system allows the crew to pump, manage, and deliver aviation fuel to the propulsion system and auxiliary power unit (APU) of an aircraft.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: "Aircraft fuel system" – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.