Berlin Express's post WWII drop tanks.

[Mustangmaniac]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to figure out just exactly who made these tanks and what size they really are. I think they are Sargent Fletcher tanks made for the F-80 and about 110 gallons because from what I understand you really can't carry more than that under the wings of a P-51 without messing up the CG. I know Sargent Fletcher made a 75 gallon version and have found their drawing of it online. Berlin Express has carried both of these styles of tanks I'm talking about and you can see them in the pictures.

What I know is a 75 gallon tank but of the same overall shape:



A drawing by Sargent Fletcher of the same 75 gallon tank:


These are the tanks I need help with also on Berlin Express:


A closer shot of the same tanks:


This style of tank always has the filler cap on the left side close to the leading edge of the P-51's wing. That's how I know it's not the 75 gallon tanks in the drawing where the filler caps are on top. I also think they are larger in diameter than the 75 gallon tanks based off of where they register on the D-day stripes on Berlin Express. The 75 gallon tanks appear to sit higher, thus being slightly smaller in diameter.

I believe these are F-80 tip tanks I just don't know which ones because they're not the standard Fletcher tanks with the fin, wrong shape for the Lockheed tanks and the Misawa tanks were pointed on the nose too.

Here's what I believe to be one on an F-80:




I'd love to get some dimensions and possibly drawings if possible of these tanks. I'm currently building a 1/32 scale model of Bardahl Special and she carried these tanks for a short period:






Thanks in advance for any help you guys and gals can give me!

Cheers,
Brady

Last edited by Mustangmaniac on Tue Mar 05, 2019 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Mustangmaniac]

Can anyone shed some light on these tanks for me?

Brady

[Yak3]

Looking for some parts for the larger set of tanks if anyone knows who may hold spares for these. Thanks