| IAF Pilot, e-mail, 26.01.2009 03:56 Fuel Capacity
1. The Vautour had a large fuel capacity, of almost 11,000 l' (8,800 kgs.), IIA variant, which was ca. 42% of the aircraft gross weight).
2. Although the engines were inferior in thrust, (as compared to British conteporary turbines), a long-range flight, at high altitude, resulted in an extraordinary good "specific range", { even better than that of the F-4 Phantom }.
3. Each engine was fed from its own set of fuel tanks.
4. The inner 17 fuel tanks had an automatic system to "isolate" cells which caught fire or to neutralize leaks in the passages.
5. The pilot could direct or divert flow of fuel in case of damaged pipes or engine malfunction.
6. The Vautour didn't have inflight refuelling devices. Only the experimental (FR-AF) IIA(R) s /n 8, was tested as an air tanker for the Mirage-4.
IIA :
* Internal fuel (body and wings): 5,364 l' in 17 cells.
* In weapon bay: 3,000 l' (2 x 1,500 l' tanks).
* External: 2 drop tanks of 1,300 l' or 600 l'.
*** Max. fuel: (5,364 + 3,000 + 2,600) = 10,964 l' (8,771 kg).
IIN
* Internal fuel: Ca. 750 kg. (= 938 l') LESS than the single-seater, due to the double cockpit, i.e. approximately 4,426 l'.
* In the weapon bay & external tanks: as IIA.
*** Max. fuel: (4,426 + 3,000 + 2,600) = 10,026 l' (~ 8,021 kg).
IIB bomber
* Internal fuel {assumed even less than the N variant, because of the large nose cockpit} guessed as , ca. 4,300 l'.
In the weapon bay: similar to the other variants (3,000 l').
external tanks: as IIA.
*** Max. fuel as bomber: (~ 4,300 + ~ 3,000 + 2,600) = ca. ~ 9,900 l' (~ 7,920 kg).
IIBR - as PR platform
* Internal fuel (as the IIB) ~ 4,300 l'.
* In the weapon bay: the camerae pack was located in the front "suit", instead one of the 1,500 l' tanks. Thus - capacity was only 1,500 l'.
* External tanks: as all variants, = 2,600 l'
*** Max. fuel: (~ 4,300+ 1,500 + 2,600 ) = ca. 8,400 l' (6,720 kg.)
Air-Refuelling:
* IIB-R tanker (FR-AF. experimental ): a 3rd fuel tank under fuselage (capacity - 1,700 ? l').
* No refuelling installations in standard variants.
Drop Tanks:
a) The large 1,300 l', standard tanks were manufactured in France, and since 1962, also by the IMI.
b) 600 l' drop tanks were in use after the Six Days War.
c) The French had several types of auxiliary fuel tanks.
Remarks:
A. Specific gravity of fuel (IAF) : 0.8 kg /l'.
B. The weight of a 1,300 l' full drop tank was 1,250 kg,
C. The weight of a 625 l' full drop tank was ca. 600 kg,
D. the French used metric weight measures, so the 1,300 l' tank was regarded as 1,250 kgs. capacity (eqiv. 275 Imp. Gal.)
*. One Imp. Gal. =~ 4.546 l' ; One U.S. Gal. =~ 3.786 l' . reply |
