A DROP FUEL TANK which doubles as an aerial-refuelling tanking system is entering the development phase, says its maker, Sargent Fletcher.
The hybrid aerial-refuelling tank/system (ART/S) consists of a retractable fuel probe mounted in an otherwise standard-looking wing-mounted fuel tank. The ART/S is mainly aimed at expanding interoperability by giving non-probe-equipped aircraft the ability to be refuelled in mid-air from hose-and-drogue tankers.
The system "was received very well" at a recent Lockheed Martin F-16 operators' meeting in Ogden, Utah, where California-based Sargent Fletcher presented the first flight-test results of the ART/S.
The system is still able to hold 1,400litres when fitted to an F-16, even with the refuelling probe fully retracted into the tank itself.
Source: Flight International