My Nieuport has an aluminum tank that sits right behind the firewall and over the pilot's legs simply because there is no place else to fit it.
One of the factors in placement, of course, is flight parameters. In Champs, Cubs, and my little biplane the speeds and mass of the aircraft factor in with the safety of the decision if in a wreck.
A wreck that involves enough force to actually make the tank a factor are already catastrophic to the point that it doesn't matter; the pilot has already been killed by the engine.
Assuming less than a nose dive into the ground or full speed into a cliff, the airframe will take enough of the force that the fuel tank won't be touched. The lines and their routing, if prudent, should likewise be minor.
A very neat thing about my plane's aluminum tube and gusset design is that it deforms very nicely. There's a video where a guy has his tail feathers cut clean off of his scaled Nieuport 11 by another plane at 100 feet AGL and does a nose dive into the grass; the pilot suffered a broken leg and soiled trousers.
Steve, you're going to absolutely fall in love with the Champ! Mark One Eyeball Altimeter/Airspeed Indicator, Wind On Cheek/Butt Slide Slip Indicator, Sound and Vibration Tach systems are how it is meant to be.
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