US 110 Gal Drop Tank Set

Brengun, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

A drop tank (external tank, wing tank or belly tank) is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often capable of being jettisoned.

The primary disadvantage of drop tanks is that they impose a drag penalty on the aircraft. External fuel tanks will also increase the moment of inertia, thereby reducing roll rates for air manoeuvres.

Some of the drop tank's fuel is used to overcome the added drag and weight of the tank. Drag in this sense varies with the square of the aircraft's speed.

The use of drop tanks also reduces the number of external hardpoints available for weapons, and reduces weapon-carrying capacity.

Drop tanks and range extension plans were widely implemented in 1944 for American escort fighters.

External drop tanks turned the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt from a short-range interceptor aircraft into a long-range escort and air superiority fighter, enabling it to accompany bombers from the British Isles into Germany and made it possible for heavy bomber formations to undertake daylight raids under escort by North American P-51 Mustangs. The P-38 could also carry two 300-to-330-US-gallon (1,100 to 1,200 L) drop tanks for its longest sorties.*

Brengun has now produced a set of two 1/32 scale US 110 gallon drop tanks to join their growing stores collection. These were less common than the ubiquitous 75 gallon tank, but the 110 gallon tanks were used on longer range missiond in the Pacific theatre.

They were fitted to the P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt and the P-38 Lightning

The bodies of the drop tanks are cast in grey coloured resin. The raised centreline seam is really well done, but you will need to take care removing the casting strips from the front of the drop tank body.

The mounts are smaller resin parts - two parts per tank.

Separate filler caps, braces and smaller details are supplied in brass-plated photo-etch.

Another nice touch is the inclusion of decals. These provide red rings and labels (including capacity in Imperial gallons), as well as black stencil panels.

Recommended to any modeller who wants to add long range drop tanks to their Pacific US WWII project.

* Description courtesy of Wikipedia

Thanks to Brengun for the review sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2023 Brett Green
Page Created 7 March, 2023
Last updated 7 March, 2023

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