Fuel Management in Aircraft: A short account of the fuel management system developed for Concorde and the fuel pumps used

THE fuel content of an intercontinental aircraft at take‐off constitutes a considerable proportion of the all up weight of the aircraft. The weight of fuel in a typical subsonic passenger carrying aircraft at take‐off represents about 45 per cent of the aircraft's all up weight and this proportion increases to about 55 per cent in a typical supersonic transport aircraft. Due to the substantial change in the weight of these aircraft between the take‐off and landing phases, and the cost of the fuel, the importance of precise and effective fuel management will be readily appreciated if the trim of the aircraft and the operational economics is not to be disturbed during an intercontinental flight.