One bomb, one drop tank?

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

I was discussing drop tanks with a buddy, and he asked if they ever carried a bomb on one wing and a drop tank on the other. I am pretty sure I remember seeing this, and though I'm sure it would make for a bit difficult flying I think with trim tabs it's probably doable, but my google-fu failed me. Anyone know of some visual examples of this and / or details, which aircraft etc.? I thought I saw P-47s and maybe P-38s kitted this way ... maybe P-40s too. But couldn't find anything.

 

[EwenS]

6 squadron Hurricane IV in Greece with 4x3" rockets under the starboard wing and a drop tank under the port wing.

And they did it the other way round as well

There was this thread on here from a couple of years ago about the P-38 with asymetrical loads.

P-38 Drop Tank/Bomb Configuration

I have read in another thread here that it was possible to have an asymmetrical load out for the P-38 with bombs and drop tanks. Specifically, does anyone know if it was possible for the P-38F-15 to carry a 1000lb bomb on one wing pylon and a 150 gal drop tank on the other? If so, might this...

ww2aircraft.net

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

Excellent thanks!

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I'm certain I've seen and read of it as well, Bill.

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

Wow this is nuts! (from the linked P-38 thread)

 

[ThomasP]

Interesting. 3x 250 lb under the starboard wing and 2x 250 lb + 1x 165 USgal DT under the port wing.

 

[Reluctant Poster]

The P-38s on the misbegotten Ploesti raid carried 1 x 300 gallon DT and 1 x 1000 lb bomb

 

[drgondog]

P-51s in Korea flying support for Pusa perimeter flew with 165gal pls 1x1000.

355th FG in ETO flew several missions with one napalm and one 110gal tank as well as one mid range strike on a truck park near Muenster with 1x110 plus 500 pound bomb.

 

[CATCH 22]

I contributed to the old thread mentioned above and one of my last sentences was, that those asymmetrical configurations were used by the P-38 fighter-bombers from the late variants - J and L. Here is a photo from a pilot's album with an earlier P-38 (probably G) and the same drop tank+1000lb bomb configuration as seen on a J-model.

Cheers!

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

So... instinctively it seems like this could get tricky when you release one or the other, or even as the fuel is being used up in the drop tank. Am i right to assume careful use of trim tabs and maybe some differential throttle control is the key to success?

 

[gumbyk]

So... instinctively it seems like this could get tricky when you release one or the other, or even as the fuel is being used up in the drop tank. Am i right to assume careful use of trim tabs and maybe some differential throttle control is the key to success?

Given how close the loads are to the P-38's centre-line, I don't think that there would have been much of an effect.

I doubt that single-engine aircraft would have been cleared for this configuration unless they could be trimmed for flight.

 

[special ed]

F4Us were seen with one bomb and one drop tank.

 

[CATCH 22]

I've seen this in post-WWII configurations - in this particular case a completely asymmetrical load with a bomb under centreline and one drop tank:

 

[elbmc1969]

I've seen this in post-WWII configurations - in this particular case a completely asymmetrical load with a bomb under centreline and one drop tank:

Fly trimmed initially, re-trim as you burn the fuel in the drop tanks. By the time it's empty, it's so close to the centerline that the trim effect is minimal. Keep it and drop the centerline bomb, if desired.

 

[Frog]

I was discussing drop tanks with a buddy, and he asked if they ever carried a bomb on one wing and a drop tank on the other. I am pretty sure I remember seeing this, and though I'm sure it would make for a bit difficult flying I think with trim tabs it's probably doable, but my google-fu failed me. Anyone know of some visual examples of this and / or details, which aircraft etc.? I thought I saw P-47s and maybe P-38s kitted this way ... maybe P-40s too. But couldn't find anything.

Corsair maybe ?

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i.redd.it

 

[drgondog]

Corsair maybe ?

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i.redd.it

Mustangs for sure. The 355th flew (documented) a combination mission to bomb a truck park with one 500#GP plus 108gal drop tank.

 

[cammerjeff]

Then there are also the German Missel carriers

Sourcehttps://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Dornier/KG100/pages/Dornier-Do-217E5-6.KG100-6N+HP-France-Sep-1943-01.html