with 4 main body tanks fore to aft
2 wing tanks (1 each wing)
2 Main tanks 1 each side over each nacelle of 2 engines each (4 engines)
and 1 weapons bay tank added, #20,000# apprx
other two weapons bays carry 54, 500# gravity weapons
Total full up fuel load, apx 210,000#, aircraft weight, apx 200,000#,
weapons, 27,000# plus racks (4,000#) Take off weight, apx 441,000#, Max GW
for take off 477,000#

-Starting with full fuel all tanks, all tanks feed to the Mains.. keep the
mains above 10,000 #
-Burn from tanks 1 and 4 first (apx 18,000pph at this weight)
-Trap 35,000# fuel between the body tanks number 1 and 4 tanks for CG
control later in the flight
-Move 35,000# trapped fuel between tanks 1 and 4 to maintain CG when wings
sweep
-Burn off body tanks 2 and 3
-Burn off the weapons bay tank
-Burn off the wing (if fuel imbalance in wings we can cross feed, more than
10,000# fuel imbalance will cause roll control problems) may have to cross
feed if one or more engines on the same side are shut down
-Now down to 10,000# in each main and 35,000# in tanks 1 and 4 (total
55,000#)
-You best be at the IAF for the primary airport, 55,000 is enough to weather
divert to the approved alternate (apx 13,000pph fuel flow) and land with apx
20,000-25,000# in the tanks..

-Fuel slosh.. 20,000# is just 10,000# in each main tank, direct feed to the
engines
-Not enough weight forward to keep nose wheel steering squat switch engaged
for ground taxi,
you need to be above 7,000# each tank to start the approach

BT

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Is there any reason to drain fuel tanks in any way other than
symmetrically in normal flight? I notice that most aircraft have
complex controls for fuel flow from the tanks, and I wonder if there
are things one is suppposed to do during normal flight, or if this is
just to provide for possible equipment failures or a need to shift the
center of gravity of the aircraft in an emergency.

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