How can fuel imbalance affect the aircraft in flight?

How can fuel imbalance affect the aircraft in flight?

• A. It has no effect once airborne
• B. It can improve stability due to weight distribution
• C. It can affect stability and the airplane's center of gravity, requiring corrective actions
• D. It only affects fuel economy

Answer: (C)

Fuel imbalance shifts the airplane’s center of gravity, especially along the wing span. Since fuel is stored in the wings, unequal fuel amounts make one wing heavier, causing a roll tendency toward that wing and altering the aircraft’s stability and controllability. Because the CG location affects how the airplane behaves in pitch and roll, this isn’t something to ignore—you could end up needing more opposite aileron input to maintain wings level and straight flight. To compensate, crews use the fuel management system to transfer fuel between tanks (crossfeed) or adjust which tanks are burning to bring the balance back within approved limits. The 787’s design supports automatic balancing, but it still requires crew awareness and action if the imbalance is outside automatic protection.

Fuel imbalance shifts the airplane’s center of gravity, especially along the wing span. Since fuel is stored in the wings, unequal fuel amounts make one wing heavier, causing a roll tendency toward that wing and altering the aircraft’s stability and controllability. Because the CG location affects how the airplane behaves in pitch and roll, this isn’t something to ignore—you could end up needing more opposite aileron input to maintain wings level and straight flight. To compensate, crews use the fuel management system to transfer fuel between tanks (crossfeed) or adjust which tanks are burning to bring the balance back within approved limits. The 787’s design supports automatic balancing, but it still requires crew awareness and action if the imbalance is outside automatic protection.