"Mk V Spitfire with slipper tank" Topic

6 Posts

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Kaoschallenged	30 Oct 2013 10:06 p.m. PST
When I came across this my first thought was "What the Heck??" LOL. I had never seen a "slipper tank" before. Robert "An unidentified Mk V Spitfire with slipper tank, possibly in northern Australia." link
jpattern2	31 Oct 2013 6:43 a.m. PST
Slipper tanks are cool. Some plastic models come with them, and you can also buy after-market resin add-ons.
Kaoschallenged	31 Oct 2013 10:35 a.m. PST
When I first saw it it struck me as not looking right for a Spitfire too LOL. Robert
Kaoschallenged	31 Oct 2013 12:59 p.m. PST
"The VB series were the first Spitfires able to carry a range of specially designed "slipper" drop tanks which were fitted underneath the wing centre-section. Small hooks were fitted, just forward of the inboard flaps: when the tank was released these hooks caught the trailing edge of the tank, swinging it clear of the fuselage. (source Wikipedia) The slipper tanks were progressively made available in larger capacity during the war. Common capacity appeared to be 30 and 90 gallons. Shown below are assorted sized slipper (or belly) tanks at Winnelli, a northern suburb of Darwin NT Australia in May 1943. These tanks were regularly used by No. 54 Sqn Spitfires in patrols during the defense of Darwin against Japanese attacks and are being prepared in readiness for attachment to the aircraft by ground crew (source Australian War Memorial)" link
Kaoschallenged	16 Nov 2013 5:15 p.m. PST
I wasn't sure if the AAF used any. But I found a photo of a P-47 with one, "P-47C-5-RE 41-6410 QP-Y Gilbert Ross 334th FS 4th FG. The belly tanks used briefly in July 1943 were the 200 Gall "Ferry Tanks" These were only used for a short period (approx a month) before the P-47s were fitted with belly tank shackles in August 1943. So for a pre August 1943 P-47C you would need to fill the area around the fusalage shackle parts on the kit. As far as Im aware, nobody produces an AM ferry tank for a P47. If any manufacturers are reading this etc etc… The 56th naturally couldnt resist adding some decoration to these ferry tanks. Fuente: Aeroscale Forum (Nigel Julian)." link
Jemima Fawr	17 Nov 2013 2:02 p.m. PST
They were a vast improvement over earlier ferry tanks, which had to be unbolted from the aircraft. Hurricanes arriving in Burma from India during the Japanese invasion of 1942, freqeuntly found themselves in a desperate situation when they arrived in the middle of a Japanese air-raid and couldn't manoeuvre for toffee until ground-crew removed the ferry tanks.

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