The Army calls them Crashworthy tanks, and they do work in most cases. In some crashes nothing survives but in a survivable crash with crash worthy tanks people do not die of post crash fire. These were designed during theVietnam war when they found that most helicopter crash deaths was caused by the post crash fire, not the impact. These fuel systems uses breakaway fittings which are self sealing. I have seen pictures of a Huey crash where a nearly full fuel blatter was totally separated from the aircraft and no post crash fire. There was a Blackhawk crash on Ft Bragg a few years ago where soldiers died in a post crash fire caused by the rupturing of the external fuel tanks which were NOT crashworthy tanks. These external tanks were designed for long ferry flights and can be ejected incase of emergency. IMHO these tanks were being used improperly on local missions to reduce the number of refuelings and the crash happened on short final to a field landing strip with no time to eject the tanks. The facts are that crash worthy tanks do save lives, the problem is in $$$$$, weight and diminished fuel capacity.
Jack Cooper kr2coo...@earthlink.net Fayetteville. NC. > [Original Message] > From: Allen Wiesner <flash...@usadatanet.net> > To: KRnet <kr...@mylist.net> > Date: 6/30/2006 8:03:53 PM > Subject: Re: KR> fuel tank(s) > > 1. There ain't no such thing as a crash-proof helicopter fuel tank. > > 2. Latest practice is to move the fuel outside the fuselage if possible, > i.e. sponson tanks. For KR use, think of the wings as skinny sponsons. If > you're familiar with the MH-53E/S80-M1, make that very skinny :-) > > 3. If the fuel has to be in the fuselage, put it behind the cabin with the > strongest bulkhead in the A/C in front of it, i.e. Blackhawk. Also, use > "Breakaway" connections on all fuel lines (boucou $$$) > > 4. All tanks do use a "self-sealing" inner bladder (think "bullet-proof", > up to 20/23 mm) (more $$$$) > > 5. And, as I mentioned before, internal/external auxiliary tanks use foam > or "Explosafe" aluminum mesh to prevent fuel from flying around in a crash. > It doesn't stop the fuel from burning, though :-( > Sorry, I don't remember the manufacturer/trade name for the foam. > > See: http://www.explosafe.com/contents/exploSys.htm > > Allen G. Wiesner KR-2SS/TD S/N 1118 (ex {involuntarily retired} Sikorsky > Tech. Rep.) > 65 Franklin Street > Ansonia, CT 06401-1240 > > (203) 732-0508 > > flash...@usadatanet.net > > > > _______________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp > to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
