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Actually the aux tank wasn't added to the Mustang purely for range. A big factor was helping to balance out the heavier Merlin engine. Pilots would typically l
by Merad 9y ago
Actually the aux tank wasn't added to the Mustang purely for range. A big factor was helping to balance out the heavier Merlin engine. Pilots would typically leave about 1/3 of the tank to keep ideal balance and have an emergency fuel reserve. Typically by the time they had taken off and made the climb to altitude they had burned enough fuel from the aux tank (about half) to be in reasonable "fighting trim". Would've been pretty audacious for the Luftwaffe to try intercepting them that early in the mission, well within the range of every other USAAF and RAF fighter.
- skookumchuck 9y agoInteresting. I was told this by a former P51 pilot. He also said sometimes lone Ju-88s would sneak in at low altitude and pick off B-17s taking off or landing when they thought they were safe.
- Merad 9y agoI’m sure the Ju-88 thing probably happened. IIRC there were at least a couple instances of caputured B-17s trying to slip into formations and shoot at damaged bombers, and there were definitely a few cases of captured allied fighters being used on bombers.