There is also the issue of "balance". The plane should balance right about the thickest part of the wing and the engine is located closer to or farther away to maintain that balance. there is really nothing to the advantage of having the engine close to the leading edge. Most stunt planes have the engine mounted further from the leading edge even than sport planes. Some flyers contend this makes the plane smoother in it's overall response and not as erratic as, say, a flying wing or fast combat. If you ever saw
me fly, though you could say it makes no bloody difference where i put the tank, the wing, the tail or the engine.. it's all going into the ground sooner or later. I'm a much better designer/builder than flyer.
The most important point in (an un-pressurized) tank placement is to have the fuel pickup even with the jet in the engine venturi. Give yourself a means to adjust the tank since even a paper's thickness up or down can make a difference in the engine run.
