Table of Contents
Why do planes have drop tanks?
The first drop tanks were designed to be discarded when empty or in the event of combat or emergency in order to reduce drag, weight, and to increase maneuverability. Modern external tanks may be retained in combat, to be dropped in an emergency.
What happened to drop tanks in ww2?
With relative precision, they would jettison their drop tanks, still filled with a decent amount of fuel, before climbing away. After releasing their tanks, pilots would swoop back around and line up again with their target.
How does a drop tank work?
Drop tanks allowed a fighter to extend its range, and then shed the weight of the tank when finished – or when it encountered an enemy, to maximise maneuverability.
What is a drop tank?
Definition of drop tank : an auxiliary fuel tank for airplanes that can be jettisoned (as when empty)
What is a Tanks mpg?
A tank like the M1 Abrams gets about . 6 mpg, and a cargo vehicle like the M-1070 semi-trailer (designed to haul tanks) gets approximately 1.2 mpg. An Army Humvee gets between 10 and 14 mpg, about the same as the commercially available Hummer.
What is a DropDrop tank?
Drop tanks became popular in the late 1930s as a means for fighters to carry more fuel for longer escort and patrol missions. Easily installed and removed, they were a quick solution for the burgeoning Luftwaffe’s fighter and dive bomber fleets, which would prove to be instrumental in the opening months of WWII.
What was the purpose of the drop tank in WW2?
Back during World War II, however, attack pilots found a secondary use for drop tanks as improvised bombs, used to bombard enemy ground positions. Drop tanks became popular in the late 1930s as a means for fighters to carry more fuel for longer escort and patrol missions.
How many gallons is a drop tank on a plane?
A 600 US gallons (2,300 L) Sargent Fletcher drop tank being moved across the flight deck of an aircraft carrier In aviation, a drop tank (external tank, wing tank, or belly tank) is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often jettisonable.
What is the purpose of the fuel in a drop tank?
Some of the drop tank’s fuel is used to overcome the added drag and weight of the tank itself. Drag in this sense varies with the square of the aircraft’s speed. The use of drop tanks also reduces the number of external hardpoints available for weapons, reduces the weapon-carrying capacity, and increases the aircraft’s radar signature.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glxLcO68jqQ