64. Fuel Management as a Means of Controlling Center of Gravity Travel

Paper

Abstract

In the past, the control of the airplane center of gravity travel due to fuel consumption has been solved by letting the pilot select his fuel tanks in such a manner that proper airplane balance was maintained; but today when fuel consumption rates of the order of 30,000 pounds per hour is not uncommon, the pilot would be doing nothing but operating his tank selector, with no time left to look at the innumerable instruments, radar scope and fire his guns, let alone trying to fly the airplane. Up until recently, the effect of ‘fuel slosh’ on airplane center of gravity travel has generally been negligible. Fuel was treated as a solid that varied horizontally and vertically as it was consumed, with no thought given to the changes in fuel center of gravity with the change in airplane attitude.