Author’s Beryl D’Shannon tip tanks add 15 gallons of capacity per side and include a 250-pound gross-weight increase.

by Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Some airplane owners can never have too much fuel. To them, it’s the ultimate expression of flexibility. To others, operating in the Alaskan bush, for example, extra fuel is a necessity. There may not be any fuel available at the river sandbar that’s the destination. As a result, a thriving aftermarket has sprung up to certify and install belly tanks, fuselage tanks, cabin tanks and replacement, larger-capacity wing tanks.

In short, you can install an aux fuel tank to go just about anywhere in the airplane except the front left seat. The most popular is the wingtip-mounted fuel tank, although true tip tanks aren’t available for…