Exploring Imperial Japanese Aircraft Auxiliary Fuel Drop Tanks

[Mil-tech Bard]

Exploring Imperial Japanese Aircraft Auxiliary Fuel Drop Tanks: What were the standard volumes and which aircraft used them?

Despite the A6M Type Zero's long range performance being highly reliant upon its 66 liter belly auxiliary fuel drop tanks. There is simply very little in the English language resources on the IJNAS and IJAAS plane's standard drop tanks, their operational uses and the range/payloads various WW2 Japanese aircraft had with them.

This latter, range/payload, is of central importance for understanding air combat over the Philippines, Iwo Jima & Okinawa kamikaze operations. As in, what was the radius of action of a Type 3 Ki-61 Tony with a 250 kg bomb & a standard drop tank?

The IJN used a single centerline auxiliary fuel drop tank and the IJA used two wing tanks seems to be the extent of what is reliably stated on the subject in English. This topic is for researching this little know and barely explored, in English, topic.

To start with, these are a couple of Imperial Japanese Auxiliary Fuel Drop Tank links:

http://flattwin.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/ ... mperi.html

http://flattwin.cocolog-nifty.com/.shar ... c08793.jpg

[Eugen Pinak]

Interesting details. Thank you for sharing it.

[fontessa]

The IJN used a single centerline auxiliary fuel drop tank and the IJA used two wing tanks seems to be the extent of what is reliably stated on the subject in English. This topic is for researching this little know and barely explored, in English, topic.

Some kind of Zero used two wing tanks. They were fighter bombers. They had a 250kg bomb on the centerline and two wing tanks on the wings. The first example was probably the Battle of the Philippine Sea, where the Zero Mod 52 s were used for fighter groups and the Zero Mod 21s for fighter bomber groups. In the bottom list of 1st Mobile Fleet, red A6M*s were all A6M2s. The 1st picture shows the Maintenance Officer of Air Group 652 LCDR SAKAMOTO Yoshiteru 坂本善輝 (Res.Eng.15 Equiv) with Zero Mod21 hung 150l drop tanks. Unfortunately, The pilots were poorly trained, so the fighter-bombers did not perform as expected. After this, Zero Mod52b- and Zero Mod61 used wing tanks. The 2nd picture shows the scale model of Zero Mod61 Fighter Bonner.

戦爆.jpg (137.11 KiB) Viewed 8128 times

戦爆 2.jpg (28.98 KiB) Viewed 8128 times

Air Group 601
TAIHO
22 A6M5 carrier fighters - LT / LCDR* KAWAZOE Toshitada (67) (KIA)
22 D4Y1 carrier bombers
18 B6N1 carrier attack aircraft
ZUIKAKU
24 A6M5 carrier fighters - LT / LCDR* SAKAMI Ikuro (69) (KIA)
11 A6M* carrier fighter-bombers - LT / LCDR* SUZUKI Toshio (70) (KIA)
18 D4Y1 carrier bombers & 03 D3A2 carrier bombers - LT / LCDR* SHIMADA Masami (68) (KIA)
14 B6N1 carrier attack aircraft
02 D4Y1 carrier bombers (serving as reconnaissance aircraft)
03 B6N2 carrier attack aircraft (serving as reconnaissance aircraft)
SHOKAKU
34 A6M5 carrier fighters - LT MASUYAMA Yasuo
10 D4Y1 carrier bombers
03 D3A2 carrier bombers
09 B6N1 carrier attack aircraft
10 D4Y1 carrier bombers (serving as reconnaissance aircraft)
03 B6N2 carrier attack aircraft (serving as reconnaissance aircraft)

Air Group 652
JUNYO
18 A6M5 carrier fighters
09 A6M* carrier fighter-bombers
11 D4Y1 carrier bombers
09 D3A2 carrier bombers
06 B6N1 carrier attack aircraft
HIYO
18 A6M5 carrier fighters
09 A6M* carrier fighter-bombers
20 D3A2 carrier bombers
05 B6N1 carrier attack aircraft
RYUHO
18 A6M5 carrier fighters
09 A6M* carrier fighter-bombers
05 B6N1 carrier attack aircraft

Air Group 653
ZUIHO
06 A6M5 carrier fighters - LT NAKAGAWA Kenji
15 A6M* carrier fighter-bombers - LT ITO Keishiro
06 B5N2 carrier attack aircraft
03 B6N1 carrier attack aircraft
CHITOSE
06 A6M5 carrier fighters
16 A6M* carrier fighter-bombers - LTJG / LT* FURUSAWA Eiichi (71) (KIA)
06 B5N2 carrier attack aircraft
CHIYODA
05 A6M5 carrier fighters
01 A6M* carrier fighter[/color]
15 A6M* carrier fighter-bombers - LTJG / LT IWANO Tadashi (71) (KIA)
06 B5N2 carrier attack aircraft
03 B6N1 carrier attack aircraft

[Mil-tech Bard]

The IJN had 150l drop tanks as standard kit for their late model Zeros?

That right there is a new one on me.

[Mil-tech Bard]

Does anyone have an idea the fuel volume of this auxiliary fuel drop tank of this C6N2 Saiun-kai (Allied code name Myrt) in the photo?

And was it used on any other Japanese aircraft?

[Mil-tech Bard]

The photo is a post war Far Eastern Air Forces Technical Evaluation of IJAAS wooden auxiliary fuel drop tanks.

The other page said there was nothing to learn from the Japanese wooden drop tank technology. :roll:

[fontessa]

The IJN had 150l drop tanks as standard kit for their late model Zeros?

Yes, all after Model52b.

fontessa

[Mil-tech Bard]

One of the things that fairly pops out of wartime US Navy intelligence is it made no effort whatsoever to determine and communicate Japanese aircraft range/payloads with various combinations of auxiliary fuel drop tanks and bombs.

There is nothing in this document that touches the subject.

Representative enemy and allied aircraft: comparative performance and characteristics, TAIC manual no.2, third edition.
June 1945
OPNAV-16-V-#T304
https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital ... 4104/rec/7

Author
Technical Air Intelligence Center
Abstract
The comparative performance and characteristics charts attached have been prepared for the purpose of providing a convenient and useful comparison of various types of allied and enemy aircraft. This issue of "Representative Enemy and Allied Aircraft, TAIC Manual No.2" supersedes the same publication dated. January 1945. Silhouettes have been included to give a comparison of the relative size and appearance of aircraft in the same class. Approximate scale of 1/32" = 1'0" has been used for all aircraft with the exception of Heavy Bombers, Flying Boats, and Cargo Transports; where, due to limited space, approximate scale of 1/64" = 1'0" was necessary. German aircraft data limited to those most representative. This publication has not been classified as secret in order that it may serve the useful purpose for which it is intended. Attention is directed to the amount and type of information contained herein, and all persons receiving copies are to exercise the utmost caution with respect to its use, to the qualifications of persons allowed to use it in their work, and to the security with which it is handled. All publications which have been replaced by latter issues, if no longer officially required, shall be destroyed upon receipt of new copies. Data contained herein is based on flight tests, guarantees, or engineering calculations and is not suitable for aerodynamic analysis. Actual performance data as established by theater or combat operations has not been used due to lack of sufficient data with which to make reasonable comparisons. Performance comparisons have been made under as closely related conditions as possible, however, the sources have in many cases obtained performance figures by different methods. The following explanations of each section of the chart should therefore be considered when studying the comparisons.

[ShindenKai]

Does anyone have an idea the fuel volume of this auxiliary fuel drop tank of this C6N2 Saiun-kai (Allied code name Myrt) in the photo?

And was it used on any other Japanese aircraft?

From the link below:
By carrying a torpedo-shaped gas tank of 730 liters (193 gal), the C6N1 could fly more than 3,000 miles / 4,830km. Using high speed and this long range, it was generally safe from interception and Myrt crews were able to shadow U.S. fleets with impunity. Its speed was exemplified by a famous telegraph sent after a successful mission: "No Grummans can catch us."

https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/c6n/tech.html

Very interesting quest. One can never know enough.

[Mil-tech Bard]

The C6N1 Myrt played a large role in daytime shadowing the USN CV fleet in the Philippines, Iwo Jima and especially the Okinawa campaign.

I have a USN escort carrier war diary about a USMC Corsair interception of a Myrt scouting Ulithi in 1945.

And there were C6N1 Myrt shot down by Hellcats. Those were the ones carrying radars.

[fontessa]

There were two types of "700L tank".

And there were C6N1 Myrt shot down by Hellcats. Those were the ones carrying radars.

Is the radar type clear?
Were these Myrt pulled from the sea?

Below is the recollection of a Myrt crew.
Koyama Tsutomu (/ 102nd Reconnaissance Unit / 752nd Naval Air Group)? was killed on April 22nd, 1945 in the vicinity of Kikaijima. I think he was surrounded by the enemy at Myrt and could not escape. Just before the end of the war, I had them equipped with radars, which I think there were only 2 or 3 in the Imperial Navy at the time. The purpose was to guide the kamikaze to the enemy task force. For this reason, both wingtips of 15 cm were cut off, and a doublet antenna (dipole antenna?) was installed facing forward at 45 degrees and covered with wooden wings. Shaking the head scans the front.

fontessa

[Mil-tech Bard]

>>Is the radar type clear?

The materials I've seen point to the "Air Mark VI Mod 4" or simply "H6" because of the antenna's installed.


>>Were these Myrt pulled from the sea?

In this case, no.

[Mil-tech Bard]

fontessa,

The aluminium & bamboo versions of the IJN 700 l drop tank track with the IJA's movement to wooden drop tanks.

Neither military had aluminium to waste in mid - 1944 onward.

[fontessa]

>>Is the radar type clear?
The materials I've seen point to the "Air Mark VI Mod 4" or simply "H6" because of the antenna's installed.

Can you show the date the Saiun was shot down?

fontessa

[ShindenKai]

Fontessa, do you have any more info on the Saiun's radar installment(s)? Images?

Seems to me that the drop tank in the photo doesn't fully match those in the drawings.
The drop-tank appears to have the body of the 726L tank and the nose of the Type 7 tank, but even the mountings points and stays aren't an exact match to those in the drawing. Multiple manufacturers of the tanks?? What type is the 726L tank?

Thank you again Fontessa.