A Question for the Lightning experts

[Devilfish]

I have an idea for a whif using a Lightning, but it means removing the missiles and pretty much all of the ventral fuel tank.  Unfortunately the nature of the role I have in mind precludes AAR and therefore also overwing tanks.  I need a combat range of 300+ miles, a fair bit of which will be supersonic......

I know it's a verrrrrrry tall order for a Lightning, but has anyone any suggestions for restoring fuel capacity?

[Old Wombat]

I don't want to even think of the engineering nightmare this would create but ... extend the airframe & have the extra length filled with fuel tanks wrapped around the intake duct.

[Captain Canada]

New wet wing, modified u/c, how about a spine ?

[PR19_Kit]

Longer wings................ 

[Gondor]

Its very very frightening indeed 

Gondor

[Weaver]

Area-rule bulges in front of the wing and on the upper corners of the rear fuselage?

[PR19_Kit]

Area-rule bulges in front of the wing and on the upper corners of the rear fuselage?

What a neat idea! 

It'd even go faster too. 

[zenrat]

Much more fuel efficient engines.
Wingtip tanks.
Cockpit full of fuel and the pilot in a dry suit.
Replace one engine with fuel tanks and double the power of the other.

[Devilfish]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I think I may go for conformal tanks....it seems the easiest and (from a treasury point of view) cheapest solution.

[McColm]

In the real world the over wing tanks caused a lot of drag at supersonic speed and we're flown at subsonic speed.
You could try using a pair of engines from the Tornado F3.

[tahsin]

F-104 type landing gear and 2x600 gallon Phantom tanks or equivalent under the wings.

[Weaver]

Much more fuel efficient engines.
Wingtip tanks.
Cockpit full of fuel and the pilot in a dry suit.
Replace one engine with fuel tanks and double the power of the other.

Fill the nose cone with fuel and replace the radar with a sonar.

Fill the tires with fuel: they were so high-pressure you'd never notice the difference.

Reduce the amount of cannon ammo and fill the ammo boxes with fuel: the coating of kerosene on the remaining ammo will only serve to increase muzzle velocity.

Fit the undercarriage doors with inflatable seals so that the bays can be filled with fuel via aerial refuelling once airborne...


But seriously...

The cancelled RB-106 was, roughly speaking, a UK equivalent of the J-79 with three spools, variable stators etc.. Had it been produced, it could have been refitted to the Lightning to get the kind of fuel efficiency improvements you need.

[Mossie]

Replace the aluminium skin with doped fabric.....

How about slipper tanks or tip tanks?

[Devilfish]

In the real world the over wing tanks caused a lot of drag at supersonic speed and we're flown at subsonic speed.
You could try using a pair of engines from the Tornado F3.

The timeline I am using is too early for the Tornado engines  (I did fit them to a Lightning F.7 I did years ago)

Overwing tanks would be no good anyway, as I believe they couldn't take off with them full, and, with it's mission profile,  it wouldn't have time to do AAR, even if I were leaving the probe on.

All weaponry is being removed, so the space normally occupied by the cannons and missile cooling gear can be used for fuel.  I'll fit some form of conformal tanks along the fuselage, under the wings.  I know it will increase drag, but it seems to be the best option.

[kitnut617]

The fuel carrying problem was looked at in real life. Freightdog does a conversion (I think) of the extended under belly tank which goes as far forward as the nose wheel bay (and half way through it too IIRC). I think it's part of another variant that was planned.