Definition
Fuel tanks mounted at or near the outboard ends of an aircraft's wings. Because they sit far from the aircraft's centerline, the fuel they carry has a strong influence on the airplane's lateral balance and on the bending loads carried by the wing structure.
Plain English
Fuel tanks built into or attached to the wingtips. They hold fuel out at the far ends of the wings, well away from the fuselage.
Context Anchor
Seen in weight-and-balance, aircraft loading, and fuel management discussions for airplanes equipped with wingtip fuel tanks.
Why Pilots Care
Their position far from the centerline can shift lateral balance and overall center of gravity, requiring careful calculations before flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read “tip tanks” as portable tanks or general fuel containers. In this context, they are built-in fuel tanks located at the wing tips.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot checked that fuel had been drawn evenly from both tip tanks before leveling off in cruise.
Example Sentence 2
With the tip tanks full, the aircraft gained extra range but the pilot had to confirm the center of gravity stayed within limits.