Originally Posted by
Flaflyer
Something else to consider. The fuel tanks are in the wings. With rear mounted engines, there is a fuel pipe the size of your arm running under your feet back to the engines. Want that to break in a belly landing? (Assuming you don't always fly J and sometimes sit in the high number rows.)
To be fair, some planes (at least the 747-400, but no other 747 models) stored fuel in the horizontal stabiliser. Added 1/2-1 hr range and to be fair, was probably the first tank to be emptied.