Quote:
Originally Posted by Laurwin
With bombers exploding from hits, this could happen from the bombload being ignited. Explosion would be spectacular... and dangerous.
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Fuel-air explosions could also be spectacular, but that required AvGas vapor plus O2 rich air, plus a spark. To prevent this, aircraft fuel tanks are (and were) blanketed with CO2 - usually cooled engine exhaust.
To get a fuel tank to blow up, you need a strong primary explosion to vaporize and heat the fuel while exposing it to air, or you need prior damage which allows air to get into the system or fuel to leak from the tank and vaporize.
So, in some cases, a "long" burst might be more effective at setting a plane's fuel systems on fire since the first hits tear open the fuel tank, letting air in and splashing the fuel around to vaporize it, then subsequent hits provide the spark or explosive heat needed for the vaporized fuel to explode rather than burn.