Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
Of course, this only makes sense if the aircraft is designed to carry fuel in the wings
Using the wings as the primary location for fuel has been standard since the early days of aviation. Not only is it room that would otherwise go wasted, it provides a structural benefit as the wings support the weight of the fuel directly, instead of those forces going through the wing-attach structure. Center (fuselage) tanks are used to increase fuel capacity above that which can fit in the wings and that fuel is always burned first.