The danger of drop tanks?

I've seen on television that when fighter planes where about to engage in combat they would jettison their drop tanks. Would they explode upon impact with the ground? Could they turn into a massive fire bomb and kill innocent civilians? Or did they somehow not explode on impact with the ground? Nevertheless I still think it could go through the roof of a house and kill someone, or just crush them in the street...
Did this ever happen? Or did they have some regulation about where they could and could not drop them?

WW2 German & Polish information Leaflet regarding drop tanks.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

I don't think they explode or anything, but if it fall on someone it sure would crush him. Drop tanks are heavy and unaerodynamic, they slow down the fighter dangerously. For this reason WWII Mustang pilots tried to burn as much drop tank gasoline as possible crossing the channel and eject them when spent. In contact with boogies, the tanks pop whether its empty or not, ASAP. If it hit someone, tough.

 

I have heard of pilots seeing a comrade hit something durring night time take off's and fearing that someone accidently dropped thier tank, but I've never heard of one exploding. In fact the only time I've seen it is in the movies. I believe there was also a high use of paper drop tanks in the 8th AF and some wooden ones by Japan. Both of these would fail to cause an explosion. They could kill you if you got hit by one, but I've also heard of civilians being killed during the Battle of Britain by spent shell casing falling to the ground, which are considerably smaller.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone, but I have one more question. Would the tanks leak if they still had some fuel in them? Or were they designed to seal themselves or something?

 

Both. They would have to be very sturdy to survive such a drop without any structural damage.

 

Here a link which gives some detail.

The Hawker Tempest Page

 

They wer not intended to be re-used. In the case of the paper tanks I mentioned earlier, the glue that held it together would be disolved by the fuel, causing it to fall apart anyways. I also seem to remember a pic Skipper posted where he found one in the woods in France. (perhaps it was mounted on atruck upon further reflection.)


Edit: not a drop tank, but this was the thread I was refering to.
http://www.ww2f.com/militaria/24227-usaaf-gasoline-container-found.html

 

Sorry to stray off the main theme, but I'm reminded of this 'Uncommon' use of drop-tanks that cropped up on WW2T recently:
Belly Tank Salt Flat Racers
1951 Tom Beatty Belly-Tank Lakester Information and History | Conceptcarz.com

Actually... are these a different kind of tank that wasn't jettisonable?
Aeroplanes not really my thing.

~A

 

Thanks for the links Adam. What us Americans will do in the name of recycling

 

Another thing. The fuel that might have been inside and then came out as well as small leaks (depending on altitude) would evaporate before it hit the ground. Another thing I would question is the speed at which the paper tanks would fall. Anyone got the weight of the tanks empty?

 

I'm suprised paper could hold gallons of liquid and not break up...

 

You might find this of interest, here is a link to a photo and short description of the "pressed paper" (cardboard) drop tanks used by the 8th in the ETO.
Goto:

WW2 Paper Drop Tanks

There were also aluminum drop tanks, especially those on the P-38 for the PTO. I suppose the laminated paper would "melt" in the humid climate. Those aluminum tanks became prized possessions post war for the hot rodders making speed runs on the dry lake beds. I think they even called them "lakers, or lake speedsters", which may be where the term "lake pipes" comes from (don’t quote me). Here is a link to an old Hot Rod magazine which show one of the more famous of the "lakers".

Goto:

Hot Rod Magazine History

The composite tanks were "one way" tanks, if they sprang a leak they were simply used up till empty and dropped. At least that is what I would presume.

 

You beaat me to the link Clint. I would say by the way the one man is holding it over his head, that they weigh no more than thirty-fourty lbs empty.

 

Thanks for the link it was very educational.
Would the metal tanks offer a bigger risk to pilots being hit by AA/Flak fire? Could they possible turn into a big fire ball if an incendiary bullet hit it square on or were they bullet proof?

Sorry for all the questions but I may as well ask them all now in the one thread.

 

As a petrol tank empties, the liquid is replaced by a mixture of gasoline vapour and air. This fuel-air mixture is explosive.

Thus, a nearly-empty drop tank, if hit by an incendiary or explosive, could be even more dangerous than a full one.

 

Well, yes and no. The vapor is flammable and would burn if hit by an incendiary. To get an explosion you would have to have some pressure build up. The tank if anything would go poof and disintegrate, causing little of no damage to the plane. Standard procedure was to drop tanks at the first sight of the enemy thus greatly reducing the chance of having the tanks shot at.


PS at circa 35lbs one of these tanks falling would not go too fast and cause minimal damage to buildings and might bruise a person. Now if the fuel was in them and it might do a more damage. I am sure that once the tank was jettisoned it was not sealed in any fashion and fuel would be leaking out the whole way down if they were not empty whey jettisoned.

 

LOL you said it right. The pilots always fed from the drop tanks first then dropped it when empty of course - some were made of special coated paper and some were made of other materials than this. If the pilot encountered enemy, even if it was right over his own base, the tank was the first thing to get dropped whether still full or not since they were a definite handicap to have on your plane in a fight! There were some instances when a pilot tried to drop the tank, but it got stuck, and the pilot just fought with it still attached!
The drop tanks were intended to get you over enemy territory and if you dropped a half full tank of avgas on somebody there, it was probably considered a good thing and so who cared anyway!

 

you all might find this of use : as per order from Göring all LW fighters in the Defense of the Reich (1944-45) were to carry drop tanks in battle and they were not to be jettisoned even when flown in close combat with Allied escort fighters. To note especially US fighter gun camera footage and how many 109's/Fw's are being shot down still with the drop tank attached ............ insane !