Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: DaveBB on August 29, 2013, 07:32:17 PM
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Did the LA-5 carry drop tanks? One website I came across said that it was able to carry two 26 gallon drop tanks. While this may not seem like a lot, the internal fuel capacity was only 100 gallons. So that would make for 156 gallons total. Here is the website I came across claiming it could carry the drop tanks http://www.ww2warbirds.net/ww2htmls/lavola5.html . If anyone could chime in on whether or not it could, or even point me in the right direction for doing research myself, I would appreciate it.
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I'll do some looking in my books, but I wouldn't trust that site, simply because whoever put it together couldn't even manage to get the pics correct. They have an La-5FN identified as an "Early La-5" and an La-5 identified as a "Late model (see cockpit canopy)"
Anybody that can make that obvious of a mistake must not really know much about their subject matter beyond what they've copied and pasted from other sites....
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I'll do some looking in my books, but I wouldn't trust that site, simply because whoever put it together couldn't even manage to get the pics correct. They have an La-5FN identified as an "Early La-5" and an La-5 identified as a "Late model (see cockpit canopy)"
Anybody that can make that obvious of a mistake must not really know much about their subject matter beyond what they've copied and pasted from other sites....
Dave might not have access to the kind of stuff some of us do, his question is actually highly valid and he tried to research as well - just because its a website doesn't discount it (even wikipedia) however the more research the better (to narrow down you know, what is fact or fiction).
As for what I know, most of my books I converted to PDF to research things on the go (or to read when im away), I have no mention of the word "drop" or "tank" in any of my La books or magazines. Perhaps it was being tested or what not, however I only see small bombs in a few photos, no drop tanks period.
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Did the LA-5 carry drop tanks?
I have no record of it ever having them. The wings were not plumbed for them.
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Dave might not have access to the kind of stuff some of us do, his question is actually highly valid and he tried to research as well - just because its a website doesn't discount it (even wikipedia) however the more research the better (to narrow down you know, what is fact or fiction).
As for what I know, most of my books I converted to PDF to research things on the go (or to read when im away), I have no mention of the word "drop" or "tank" in any of my La books or magazines. Perhaps it was being tested or what not, however I only see small bombs in a few photos, no drop tanks period.
Wasn't meant as a slam on him at all, just a cautionary "don't believe everything you read" statement about the web in general....
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The "drop tanks" probably should read "wing tanks."
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Good info, Smoe. It is documented that the outboard wing tanks of the LA-5 were removed to improve roll rate. The original LA-5 had a total of 5 fuel tanks. With the removal of the two outboard fuel tanks, this would bring it to three. It appears that the mystery has been solved. Thanks guys.