F-35 external fuel tanks....

[thorny1a]

This may not be of any interest, however thought I'd post it.

I recently e-mailed the guy's at the offical F-35 website: http://www.f35.com, asking when trials will start with the F-35's external fuel drop-tanks.

This was the rather interesting reply:

"Currently, no F-35 customer has requested external fuel tank capability and therefore no testing has been scheduled."

[EGDR]

That is very interesting, I always thought our B variants would have them fitted to compensate for the reduced fuel tanks size. Confusing...

[Jammo]

I guess its because of the cost and problems involved in the development of any external component that keeps the stealthiness of the aircraft at its optimum level, i suppose body hugging tanks could be developed if needed

[reheat module]

Hope it stays up longer than the Lightning !

[Freeman Lowell]

... and we could always refuel the Lightning

Freeman

[Richard B]

weight could be an issue, with full external tanks and the weapons load,
Think they have struggled to keep the weight down on the program just to get it off the ground then some to lift a full weapons load.

[Viper28]

Sorry, don't believe that. I can't think of a military fighter since the P51 Mustang and upto and including the F22 that has not had some type of external fuel tank. The inner pylons on the F35 are described as "wet" and the project office shows a 426-gallon tank.



It would make no sense not to have them, if only for ferry operations, and probably day-2 operations. There is also talk of developing conformable tanks for it (at Israel's request).

[Viper28]

Total madness. On internal fuel the F35B only has a combat radius of about 450nm, so in reality probably 350nm from ship to target and probably a CAP at about 200nm, that's going to put the carrier in range of the better anti ship missiles while outside fighter cover. With no external tanks then there is no way we could mid-air refuel them as there can be no buddy system (and your not going to put a A330 anywhere near that close to a combat zone).

As I said in my previous post even the f/22 has external (non stealth) tank options. I don't think they have any option but to do this for the F35 as well.

[thorny1a]

Well hopefully the drop tanks will get integrated eventually. We could sure do with a carrier based tanker!!