Low wing aircraft sometimes require a fuel pump.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not always
• D. Gravity-fed

Answer: (B)

Fuel delivery in airplanes depends on gravity or on a pump to push fuel to the engine. High-wing designs can often rely on gravity because the tanks are above the engine, creating natural pressure. In low-wing airplanes, the tanks are not above the engine, so gravity alone doesn’t reliably feed the engine. To ensure a steady and pressurized fuel supply during all flight regimes, a pump (often an engine-driven pump with a boost pump) is used. Because of that, the statement as written isn’t accurate—the pump is a standard part of the normal fuel system in typical low-wing aircraft, so the correct stance is that this claim is not correct.