P-51 fuselage fuel tank (1 Viewer)

Does anyone know what form of construction was used for the 85 USgal fuel tank - ie aluminum tank with SS outer shell, or maybe total non-metal except for fittings, etc?

Engineman said:

Hi,

I feel that the handling described in the Eglin test report 4-43-23-1 is much more complicated than the illustrations and text in Horkey's information that you posted.

Eng

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Language is always changing/evolving so there is also the possibility that terminology/definitions have changed over the years as the phenomena became better understood. Add to that even things that an individual fully understands and writes about in what they consider obvious language does not mean that another person will comprehend, let alone fully understand, what the that person has written - especially some 80 years later. Add to that prior to ww2 and television what a word or phrase meant is New York was often different in LA, let alone London or Sydney because of linguistic isolation.

ThomasP said:

Does anyone know what form of construction was used for the 85 USgal fuel tank - ie aluminum tank with SS outer shell, or maybe total non-metal except for fittings, etc?

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All the WW2 metal tanks I have seen are either alloy frame with mild steel casing riveted and then soldered to become leak proof (Ki-43) or 100% what appears to be auto body steel with the steel "frame" spot welded to the top half shell then the bottom half shell seam spot welded to the upper shell.

I know some P-39 tanks and the A6M tanks were 100% alloy except for the attachment hardware.

USAAF TO 01-3-46 identifies the steel as Terneplate which is not a material I had ever heard of. The dictionary description is terneplate, steel sheet with a coating of terne metal, an alloy of lead and tin applied by dipping the steel in molten metal. The alloy has a dull appearance resulting from the high lead content. The composition of terne metal ranges from 50–50 mixtures of lead and tin to as low as 12 percent tin and 88 percent lead. The tin serves to wet the steel, making possible the union of lead and iron, which would otherwise not alloy. Terneplate is made by a process similar to galvanizing or tinplating—i.e., by dipping the sheets into a series of heated baths, the first of a zinc chloride flux, followed by the molten terne metal, and finally one of palm oil. Terneplate has the strength and formability of steel and the noncorrosive surface and solderability of terne metal. While it is still used for roofing, gutters and downspouts, and casket linings and in the manufacture of gasoline tanks for automobiles, oil cans, and containers for paints, solvents, resins, and so on, it has largely been replaced by other, more durable steel products that are easier to manufacture.

Remember the prime requirement once the USAAF decided that drops were needed was the use of non critical materials and this was a common material of the day.