toughen the P-47 main tank!

[RTHolmes]

anyone who flys the jug even occasionally will know that the main tank appears to be made of cardboard. if anything hits you, its a guaranteed main tank leak. the aux tank is nowhere near as vulnerable and my impression is that the jug's aux is similar in vulnerability to other fighter tanks (ie. probably modelled about right.)

the main and aux tanks are right next to each other under the pilot. they are both armoured, self sealing tanks. I realise this doesnt make them indestructable, but I reckon the main tank drains too quickly as well as being too easy to damage. these fuel tanks are actually part of the armour protection design for the pilot (theres no armour plate around the pilot in the areas covered by the tanks.) theres even some extra protection under the tanks as the jug has an armoured belly for ditching.

Its so vulnerable that I expect to take a main tank hit every other jug sortie so, even though 75% is usually enough, I generally up with 100% just so I can save some in the aux tank to get home with. then I have to burn off the rest to get down to fighting weight.

Im pretty sure something is amiss with the jug main tank damage model - pls have a look at it!





phwoarr!

[JHerne]

+1, and great pic.

[DEECONX]

Sounds like 38 PW's and the Dora's glass radiator.

+1

[whiteman]

Fly the F4U around a bit, it's almost mandatory to bring a drop tank as your "secondary main" as the main will get hit.

[redwing7]

Fly the F4U around a bit, it's almost mandatory to bring a drop tank as your "secondary main" as the main will get hit.

Amen.

[Wiley]

Which model?  I've heard that said about the -M, but I fly the D-11 often enough, and I've been spending a bit more time in the D-25 lately without noticing this kind of behavior.  I tend to get oiled more than I get fueled.

Wiley.

[RTHolmes]

I pretty much only use the D25 but its the same in the D40 iirc.

[bustr]

Nomde and Frenchy went through this with HiTech back from 2002 through 2005. They even showed data that the super charger duct work acted as an extra level of armor plateing. I'm going to bet whats happening is the round is hitting from the top of the fuslage or there abouts just in front of the windscreen. Go to the web sight below and look at the 3D ducting view and 3D fuel tank view. The main tank is vulnerable to hits from the top. Thats why I always switch to the main tank and save whats in the auxillary in case I get hit. If you loose a jug in the radial engine or your oil, the engine is historicly supposed to be able to carry on for quite awhile. But hey, thats just a few after action reports from the U.S. AAF. Its not like the AAF placed live charges in a test engine and used a stop watch to see how long it would run after the damage.

http://www.aviation-history.com/republic/p47.html

Where you would take 75% and a drop tank. 100% internal is just about the same. Burn the auxillary to 50% then switch to the main. This works on all D models. I forget the formula for the N modle. 75% burn the wing tanks first then auxillary???? If you are going to furball local and low, 25-50% internal and a single drop. Kick the drop tank when you see the red icon.

[JOACH1M]

I posted the same thing not to long ago! +100 and another note the p47n is a flying fuel tank and It is very venerable to hits on the tanks.

[bj229r]

Nomde and Frenchy went through this with HiTech back from 2002 through 2005. They even showed data that the super charger duct work acted as an extra level of armor plateing. I'm going to bet whats happening is the round is hitting from the top of the fuslage or there abouts just in front of the windscreen. Go to the web sight below and look at the 3D ducting view and 3D fuel tank view. The main tank is vulnerable to hits from the top. Thats why I always switch to the main tank and save whats in the auxillary in case I get hit. If you loose a jug in the radial engine or your oil, the engine is historicly supposed to be able to carry on for quite awhile. But hey, thats just a few after action reports from the U.S. AAF. Its not like the AAF placed live charges in a test engine and used a stop watch to see how long it would run after the damage.

http://www.aviation-history.com/republic/p47.html

Where you would take 75% and a drop tank. 100% internal is just about the same. Burn the auxillary to 50% then switch to the main. This works on all D models. I forget the formula for the N modle. 75% burn the wing tanks first then auxillary???? If you are going to furball local and low, 25-50% internal and a single drop. Kick the drop tank when you see the red icon.

Yah, if ya take 75%, the N flies 42 min, 17 of them after main is exhausted/leaks out--50+ drop is similar time, but only 2-3 min of non-main internal. Flew naught but N for a couple years, was ALways oil/main fuel/flap/fire. Now I fly naught but D11, ALWAYS oil/aileron, (not so much main fuel) more PW's than N, esp from dead 6 shots, which seems improbable in razorback

[RTHolmes]

another thing which makes me suspicious is that the jug main tank is in the same postion as the spit's tanks, and I very rarely get a fuel hit in the spit ....

[smoe]

Maybe a different load-out. Change the aux tank to half full for 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 loads.

[Infidelz]

I take 100% in a jug and burn the main first. If I take a main hit I have aux to return in.

INfidelz.

[MjTalon]

Take 100%

Burn your aux to 50% then switch to your main tank. If your main gets hit you'll still have plenty in the aux to return to base with.

[RTHolmes]

well like I said in the OP I always take 100% and leave 25gall in the aux to get home. (which turns out to be the historical way of doing it though for a different reason.) 38mins fuel is alot for a short hop though, and a nightmare if you get bounced on climbout.

btw leaving the aux tank completely full isnt a great idea, when the main is empty it makes the jug rather tail heavy and can lead to some interesting spins/stalls

point is the tank shouldnt be so vulnerable in the first place. Ive probably had a couple of aux tank hits ever, compared with literally hundreds of main tank hits. given the size, shape and location of the tanks the ratio should be about 2:1 for main:aux tank hits.