Originally Posted by G-EMMA
OK the 20 billion dollar question, why doesn't a PA-28 have the option to select both? Was it just cost or does anyone know if there is a good reason for it?
G-EMMA,
I don't know about the PA28, but the PA25 (pawnee) comes in a couple configurations. One is a single cowl tank, the other is two wing tanks. Our pawnee with the wing tanks is plumbed to take fuel from both tanks, with no selector. There is a fuel shutoff which is downstream of the tanks. We typically fly for 1.5 hours, and the fuel is never balanced between the tanks. Sometimes the left tank will be very low and the right tank will be nearly full. What bugs me about that is what happens if one tank runs out first? Seems like the fuel pump would rather pull air than fuel, as it is much less work. This is a lot different than a high wing, where gravity wants to push the heavy fuel downhill, and leave the light air in the tank. But when I fly a PA28 I can ensure that I don't run a tank out of gas, by managing the fuel selector.
-- IFMU