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1.Tanks. a.General. (1) Fuel Tanks, - The fuel tanks consisting of a fuselage tank and two wing tanks are fuel-tight, self sealing bags which are snugly fitted into pressed aluminum containers. (See figure 7.) Also see figure 8 for wing tank installation tools. The fuel bags are fabricated by employing several layers of material which consist of an inner lining of neoprene balloon fabric, a second layer of split steer hide, third layer of uncured Latex sheet, fourth layer of sponge rubber, fifth layer of uncured Latex sheet and an outer covering of chrome-tanned steer hide. The inner lining of neoprene balloon fabric consists of balloon cloth impregnated with Thiokol and cemented together with neoprene cement to form a two-ply sheet .017 inch thick. The self-sealing element consists of two .015-inch sheets of Latex gum on either side of a .250-inch sponge rubber sheet. The Latex sheets are protected on the outside by a .018-inch sheet of grained steer-hide leather and on the inside by a .060. Inch sheet of split steer hide. Bostick M-40 cement is used to attach the split steer hide to the layer, while neoprene cement is used to attach the successive layers of the Latex gum, sponge rubber and leather. The neoprene cement is applied to both surfaces and allowed to dry for 20 to 30 minutes. The pipe fittings, filler neck, gage fittings and inspection hole fittings are all made of molded neoprene and have flanges which are cemented to the inside of the self-sealing bag and covered with a patch of balloon cloth. The baffles are of rubberized webbing with neoprene flanges molded on and consist of five layers, two of duck and three of neoprene, center and outsides. Each self-sealing bag is provided with inspection holes so as to facilitate repair. The fuselage bag has one inspection hole; whereas the front wing bag is equipped with three inspection holes and the rear wing bag has four inspection holes. The capacity of the fuel tanks is 148 U.S. gallons (123.3 Imperial gallons). The individual capacities areas follows: The fuselage self-sealing bag, 62.5 U.S. gallons (52.06 Imperial gallons); the front wing self-sealing bag, 35 U.S. gallons (29.16 Imperial gallons) and the rear wing self-sealing bag, 50.5 U.S. gallons (42.07 Imperial gallons). All fuel bags have a 3 percent expansion space and are vented to the atmosphere. (2) Oil and Coolant Expansion Tank, - The oil and coolant expansion tank are welded aluminum-alloy (3S) structure. The externally Linatex-.covered oil tank has an expansion space of 1.5 U.S. gallons (1.25 Imperial gallons); a normal tank capacity of 13 U.S. gallons (10.83 Imperial gallons) and an overload capacity of 16 U.S. gallons (13.33 Imperial gallons). |
(3) Reserve Hydraulic Tank. - The reserve hydraulic tank, located forward of the fuselage access door, is a magnesium-alloy casting (Alcoa AM-260T6). The auxiliary hydraulic tank located on the forward side of the fire wall is an aluminum-alloy (3S) welded structure. The ends are castings (Alcoa No. 43). The coolant expansion tank on the P-40F is in the form of a header tank and is a soldered brass structure being made from .032-inch sheet brass. This tank must withstand a test pressure of 40 pounds per square inch. b. Damage. (1) Classification of Damage. -When determining the type of damage to any of the tanks,the repair must be classified as one of the following: (a) Negligible damage. (b) Reparable damage. (c) Damage necessitating replacement. (2) Negligible Damage. - When effecting slight repairs to a fuel tank, it is not necessary that the tank be steamed and washed before the repair is made; however, it must be kept away from heat or fire. It is necessary that the surfaces of the self-sealing bags and aluminum shells be free from grease, oil or fuel. All surface scratches, small cuts, or rips on the self-sealing bags can be repaired readily by roughing up the outside steer hide and patching with strips of leather using two coats of M-40 Bostlck cement and rolling down smoothly with a roller. The bag shells must be free from cracks, abrasions, and sharp corners, and all small dents must be restored to shape, taking care not to stretch or crack the shell. File all sharp corners smooth. (3) Reparable Damage. _ Self-sealing bags and shells that are damaged and necessitate repairs should be replaced and the damaged bag and shell sent to a repair depot where repairs should be effected by the following method. c. Fuel Bags. (1) Removal of a Self-sealing Fuel Bag. -Remove the fuel bag from the aluminum shell container. The containers or shells of the fuselage and wing tanks are (2SI/2H) aluminum and can be repaired by welding. The wing tank shells are pressed sections consisting of an upper and lower assembly which are held together to form the complete shell by means of straps. The fuselage container or shell consists of pressed sections with abolted forward end and a riveted aft end. |
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