I'm using the pmdg now for about 4 days, and today I tried to do the fuelplanning by myself instead of using the fuel planner. I looked in the manual how to do this, but I can't find how much fuel I have to put in which tank. I only know the minimum for the center tank is 1000 lbs. So, what are the rules?

Fill wing tanks first. If you need more than they can hold, then add the rest to the center tank.Reason is to reduce bending movement between wings and fuselage, the fuel in the wings "flies itself", so to speak. (Does not add to the bending movement). This is also the reason why the weight of the fuel in the center tank should be added to the zero fuel weight.Cheers,Kjell.

Yup, fill the wings first and then the center. One thing about the center tank though if you're looking for the utmost in realism - you always want to have at least 1000lbs of fuel sitting in the center tank. This was mandated as part of the aftermath of the TWA800 accident to prevent the fuel pumps from being exposed and possibly sparking and igniting the vapors as was determined to be the cause of TWA800...

So this means you should stop using the center tank as soon as it's at 1000, and always take 1000lbs extra?

Just basically add 1000 lbs to what you have planned already. If your center should be 2000, make it 3000. Also remember that you should use your center fuel tank first if you have fuel in there. If you have less than 5000 lbs of fuel in the center for takeoff, use the wing fuel and then use the center during climb.Nick B.Continental Airlines 737NG Pilothttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/800driver.jpg--AMD Athlon XP 3200+ @ 2.2 Ghz (Equal to 2.8 ghz)400W Power supply3x 80 mm Case FansSoyo VIA KT600 Dragon PlusnVidia GeForce FX 5200 128 mb2 x 512 PC400100 GB Western DigitalMicrosoft Sidewinder Precision 2

I have a little "paper" question about that; I always fill in a fuel planning form. Do I have to fill in the weight of the center tank fuel as payload?

I think they mean the extra 1000lbs of fuel for the center tank should be added to the ZFW. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. :)But I've heard that pilots use that extra 1000lbs as part of their reserves. Naturally, with a successful flight, even if there was a holding delay, or a go-around, or a diversion to planned alternate, you would never actually get down to that final 1000lbs anyway. Or else........

>I think they mean the extra 1000lbs of fuel for the center>tank should be added to the ZFW. I'm sure someone will correct>me if I'm wrong. :)>Yes, whichever weight of fuel filled in the center tank is to be added to the ZFW.Cheers,Kjell.

Now you guys made me curious. How do you do the fuel planning manually? Can someone walk me through it? Can I download some kind of form for this, or do you use a program?

I always use this program. I've found it to be accurate to within 1000pounds. It can be found in the downloads section of the PMDG website.http://www.precisionmanuals.com/downloads/...g.asp?iFile=352

>>I think they mean the extra 1000lbs of fuel for the center>>tank should be added to the ZFW. I'm sure someone will>correct>>me if I'm wrong. :)>>This is exactly the reason I want to do the fuelplanning myself; I want to know everything :DThe ZFW consists of the Basic Operating Empty Weight, and the Payload together.If you look in the manual at cruise planning, there's a step-by-step process for fuel planning.

Hum I believe that the rule is to "turn off" the center fuel tank pumps @ 1000 and this fuel does not just sit in the tank, but does get used otherwise you would always have a certain amount left in center tank. Drivers?? Best Wishes,[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4][h3]P M D G's 747-400[/h3][h4]coming to a runway near you[/h4][/font color]Caution! Not a real pilot, but do play one on TV ;-)AMD 64 3200+ | ASUS KV8 DELUXE | GFORCE 5700 ULTRA @535/1000 | Maxtor 6Y080M0 SATA 80 GIG | 512 DDR 400 | Windows Xp Pro | Windows Xp Pro 64 |

If you look at airliners.net and take all the flightdecks of Air Berlin B738 you see that they have 0 left in the center tank.

Ramon,My understanding of a thread from Quavion was that Boeing had upgraded the flameproof category of the fuel pumps and cabling in the centre tank of the NG series so that it was not necessary to maintain a flooded situation to prevent a spark explosion. If this is so then these pumps can operate in an explosive hydrocarbon/air vapour situation and the centre tank can be taken down to zero. This would seem to be the case as evidenced by your pictures.David.

But its always better to keep 450KG/1000LBs in the center, isn't ????