Combat-Weight: Bombers & Fighters

[KJ_Lesnick]

What combat weight figures (% fuel load) were typically used for fighters & bombers in WW2, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War?

KJ
Remember to read my signature below

[famvburg]

  I don't think there could be a 'typically used load'. Too many variables. Weapons load, radius, etc., etc. Just because you could carry extra fuel on a 600 mile flight, you don't want the extra weight. Just too many variables IMO.

[KJ_Lesnick]

famvburg

I don't think there could be a 'typically used load'. Too many variables.

I'm pretty sure 60% was used as a figure for jet-powered planes like the F2H, so there were rules of thumb at least...

[sagallacci]

For any number of types, there was, in effect, a sliding scale of range/fuel load versus war load, so the ratio was no where near a fixed figure. For many, max range with a fair war load could be as bad as a ten-to-one fuel to weapon ratio while the same type might be able to haul close to one-to-one at short ranges.

[KJ_Lesnick]

sagallacci

For any number of types, there was, in effect, a sliding scale of range/fuel load versus war load, so the ratio was no where near a fixed figure. For many, max range with a fair war load could be as bad as a ten-to-one fuel to weapon ratio while the same type might be able to haul close to one-to-one at short ranges.

Do you have any figures for either of the following?

I: B-17G

• Long-range bomb & fuel-load
  
• Medium-range bomb & fuel-load
  
• Short-range bomb & fuel-load
  

..
II: B-24J

• Long-range bomb & fuel-load
  
• Medium-range bomb & fuel-load
  
• Short-range bomb & fuel-load
  ..
  
  
  KJ

[famvburg]

     I suggested this before & I'm suggesting again. You might have better luck getting answers if you post the warbird information exchange....wix.

[scooter]

From Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War 2:

B-17G:

Max Fuel (6 inner & 9 aux outer wing tanks): 2780 US Gallons.
Normal fuel (6 main tanks): 1700 US Gal
Normal bomb Load: 6000 lbs
Normal range: 1,100 miles w/ max bomb load and normal fuel

Note: B-17Fs could be fitted with two external bomb racks, for an additional 4k lbs per rack; external racks deleted on the G model.

B-24J:

Normal Fuel: 2344 US Gal (12 fuel cells in the center section between the spars, three outboard aux tanks)
Max internal Bomb Load: 8000 lbs, provisions for two external racks with up to 4k lbs per rack.
Normal range: 1540 miles w/ normal fuel and max bomb load

[KJ_Lesnick]

Scooter

How much did a gallon of the gasoline they used for the B-17 and B-24 weigh in pounds?  I don't think it weighed the same as JP-4 or JP-5...

KJ

[perttime]

Which gallon?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallon

"the imperial gallon (≈ 4.546 l) which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon (≈ 3.79 l) and the lesser used United States dry gallon (≈ 4.40 l)."

... or one of the older ones ...

[rickshaw]

Given that a "gallon" is a measure of volume for liquids, how can you have a "dry gallon"?

[PR19_Kit]

The aviation world uses US gallons AFAIK, the same as the hydraulics world, unless you're in some parts of Canada where some line guys insist on using litres. (See 'Gimli Glider'......)

Aviation gasoline is around 5.8 lbs/US gallon, Jet A-1 is 6.7 lbs/US gallon and Jet TS-1 is almost the same.

[scooter]

Rickshaw

Given that a "gallon" is a measure of volume for liquids, how can you have a "dry gallon"?

From Wikipedia:

The dry gallon, also known as the corn gallon, was used in the United States until recently for grain and other dry commodities. It is one eighth of the Winchester bushel, originally a cylindrical measure of 18 1⁄2 inches in diameter and 8 inches in depth. That made the dry gallon (9 1⁄4)2 × π cubic inches ≈ 268.80252 cu in. The bushel, which like dry quart and pint, still sees some use, was later defined to be 2150.42 cubic inches exactly, making its gallon exactly 268.8025 cu in (4.40488377086 L). In previous centuries, there had been a corn gallon of around 271 to 272 cubic inches.

Unfortunately, Jane's doesn't provide most of the information requested like max payload/range, min payload/range but an average.  And bomb bay size and shape need to be taken into consideration as well.  The B-17 had only one bay, the -24 two tandem bays.

[famvburg]

      Here in the USA we use 6 lbs per gallon for AvGas & Jet Fuel varies in weight by temperature, something like 6.4 lbs on the low end to 7 lbs at the high end, but the two turbines I oversee & most other folks I know use 6.7 lbs for a gallon of Jet Fuel regardless of temperature.

The aviation world uses US gallons AFAIK, the same as the hydraulics world, unless you're in some parts of Canada where some line guys insist on using litres. (See 'Gimli Glider'......)

Aviation gasoline is around 5.8 lbs/US gallon, Jet A-1 is 6.7 lbs/US gallon and Jet TS-1 is almost the same.

[KJ_Lesnick]

PR19_Kit

Aviation gasoline is around 5.8 lbs/US gallon, Jet A-1 is 6.7 lbs/US gallon and Jet TS-1 is almost the same.

And high octane gas from WW2 was the same as modern avgas?

[rickshaw]

PR19_Kit

Aviation gasoline is around 5.8 lbs/US gallon, Jet A-1 is 6.7 lbs/US gallon and Jet TS-1 is almost the same.

And high octane gas from WW2 was the same as modern avgas?

Yes.