On the technical side I have had a look at the DC8 fuel system and except that the fuel selectors were mechanical rather than electrical, I still cant see much difference to the B707 or for that matter the B747. The one advantage of the DC8 system is it appears to allow tank balancing from any main tank to any other main tank in flight.
Yep, I think those white knobs I was taught not to touch are the fuel tank selector levers that let you move fuel from tank to tank. There was some James A. Michener preflight procedure for the fuel panel where you checked every valve, switch, pump and light by manipulating all the levers and switches in the right sequence. I knew it for the checkride. Normally you didn't use the fuel tank selector levers at all in flight, you used the crossfeed levers that had a black 'X' knob on them and the tank fill valves to keep the tanks even. And, seems like you always kept at least one fill valve open to avoid an overpressure. But, it's been a really long time since I plumbed the -8.
I saw many a US carrier get themselves in trouble due to poor system knowledge and operational knowledge including one major US carrier who ended up with all the fuel in one tank on a Pacific crossing. Now that was an interesting inter aircraft discussion. At least they paid for our beers that night in Narita.
Over on the Boeing side, I remember United had a fuel emergency at Narita in the late 1980's on a 747. Somehow the FE had trapped fuel in a tank, maybe due to boost pump failures. There was an old alternate procedure to move the fuel using the jettison manifold. Unfortunately, the FE was a pilot and she hadn't been taught this workaround. Two engines flamed out in the air and a third quit after landing at NRT. Or so a professional flight engineer told me at the time. Does this sound right?
Given there are 4 engines on a DC8,I cant see how anyone could fly for any length of time without balancing the fuel and with any fuel balance it needs to be monitored, not just looked at every half hour from the front
I'm not disagreeing, but my Air Canada friend told me years ago that he flew the DC-8 without a flight engineer and I bought it hook line and sinker. And, like I said, some of the DC-8 freighters did have the long seat rails that JW411 and I claim to have seen.
You probably already know about the Canadian Pacific DC-8 that went supersonic at Edwards so I won't bore you with that tale.
