Thread: 4.12.2 de-bugging
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Old 09-19-2014, 06:51 PM
Pursuivant Pursuivant is offline
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Harping further on damage model flaws to fuel tanks.

I was finally able to get information about how self-sealing fuel tanks worked in WW2.

Basically, they were multiple layers of rubber and/or leather, that self-sealed by allowing raw rubber to flow into the hole to seal it. Also, they were all soft-sided so that they wouldn't rupture as a bullet passed through them.

Patent application for one form of self-sealing fuel tank here:

http://www.google.com/patents/US2401627.pdf

Contemporary article on the Ju-88 which explains the self-sealing fuel tanks in detail:

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchi...0-%203429.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchi...0-%203430.html

Note that the Ju-88 was equipped with fuel dumping capability for its fuselage tank, although the fuel tanks don't appear to have been blanketed with engine gasses as a fire-protection measure.

Advertisement for self-sealing fuel and oil-tanks, which claims that they will not ignite even when hit by tracer, incendiary or ball ammo.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchi...0-%202064.html

This video is extremely helpful:


Notice that the U.S. self-sealing fuel tanks used in the B-24 bomber (and presumably all other U.S. types) INSTANTLY self-seal against .50 BMG shots fired at close range. They do not rupture due to fluid pressure when the bullet exits the tank. They also self-seal against multiple hits with no apparent loss of integrity.

U.S. Navy reports indicate that self-sealing tanks used on U.S. planes instantly sealed against 0.50 caliber bullets, and occasionally against 20mm shells.

Summary: Single small caliber bullets or shrapnel hits should not be able to start fuel leaks in planes with self-sealing tanks. Single 0.50 caliber bullets should also not be able to start fuel leaks in such planes unless they are also explosive. Even 20 mm shells might not cause a fuel leak (assuming they fail to explode)!

Multiple bullets hitting very close together, or an explosion, are required to get self-sealing tanks to leak.

This means that slow-to-stop fuel and oil tank leaks in the game are bad Damage Modeling. It also means that it should be even harder to set planes on fire.
Last edited by Pursuivant; 09-19-2014 at 08:53 PM.
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