fuel tank configuring for 747?
 

Hello. I would like to know in what order should the fuel tanks in a 747-400 be filled.

The tanks are:

right & left wing tips
right & left wings
center tank #1
center tank #2

I am interested in which tank/s are filled first, next and last so that I can properly configure the 747 tanks in my flight simulator program (FS2004).

thanks in advance.

Gabriel

Which 747? Your tanks do not describe the 747-400. They are:

Main 1, 2, 3, 4

Reserve 1, 4

Center

Tail (only a few airplanes)

Thanks for the reply and the info. Well then it seems that my program (microsoft flight simulator 2004) has an imaginary 747-400 fuel tank setup. Not too surprising.

What I would like to know then is whether the center tank gets filled first or do the wings get filled first?

I wish I didnt have to ask this here but I have already searched the net for this info without any luck.

Normal filling for 747-400 tanks is, 1&4 reserves to ful (approx 4000kgs each) and normally at the same time evenly distributed across remaining mains 1,2,3,&4 main, (up to full level of 1&4 ie about 13000kgs) then carry on filling 2&3 main (approx 37000kgs) then into the centre and tail (stab) distribution between these two will vary slightly depending on airline i believe (may be wrong here)

This really depends on your intended fuel load!

As a rough guide wings first, then center tank and HST ( horizontal stab tank) at a ratio of 5.2:1 ( 5.2T to center for every 1 ton HST).


The actual tanks / total fuel on the -400 are:
Main Tanks 1 & 4 = 13.3T each
Main tanks 2 & 3 = 37.3T each
Reserve tanks 2 & 3 = 3.9T each
Center Wing tank = 51T
HST = 9.8 T
giving a total fuel of 169.8T

Main tanks 1 & 4 probably equate to your 'L & R tip tanks'
Main tanks 2 & 3, along with reserve tanks 2 & 3 probably equate to your 'L & R wing tanks'
The aircraft only has one center wing tank, but you can probably split that between your 'center tank L & R'

As stated already not all aircraft are fitted with the HST, so you can just forget about this!

Hope this helps...

Not on our 400s...

Mains 1,2,3,4 fill first -- evenly up to the point where the smaller 1&4 are full, then the larger 2&3 fill evenly. Reserve 2&3 (I misnamed them in my initial post; they feed into main 2&3 respectively, but are physically located outboard of 1&4) fill next, and the Center last. We don't have the tail tank.