WP840
July 6, 2021 at 4:43 pm

Reusing jettisoned external tanks

Could external fuel tanks be designed to be jettisoned from aircraft when empty as they approach enemy airspace improving the aircraft’s performance should they encounter enemy aircraft, collected and then reused?

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By: Silkworm - 18th September 2021 at 10:15

I guess you could stick a prop on them and have them fly home, but to date that hasn’t been done.

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By: Cajun21 - 17th September 2021 at 13:49

WP840,

Not usually as when they hit the ground they were pretty well beat up. Also going into enemy territory to retrieve the tanks wouldn’t be a mission I would want. The jettisoned tanks could be repurposed by the locals. Many North Vietnamese took the jettisoned tanks cut them in half long wise and made fishing canoes out of them. If they were in fair shape they used them to stored gas (petrol) or water. Hope this answers part of your question.

Cheers

Itch