Brought Home a Belly Tank Today! Identification??

My dad and I went and bought this belly tank today in the middle of nowhere. We are not exactly sure what it is off of. The two halves are welded together and it has a nose that is welded a little different than what we've seen. The tank is not flanged like the P-38 tanks are. It is approx. 13 ft long and somewhere in the neighborhood of 36" in the belly. Its also made out of aluminum, not steel or paper like some of the others. We were thinking of making a belly tanker since it is the big tank, but we are not set on it. Does anybody know what this is off of? Or what it is worth? Thanks Sam

 

I dunno what to call the parts exactly, but the indention in the top looks like an aerodynamic leg went down into it, and some of the bosses around it look like plates for supporting lines, Id say its a pontoon off of some model airplane, but you might know that much already.

 

Here are some more pictures. Sorry I haven't figured out how to make them any bigger. Thanks Sam

 

It is definetly a fuel tank. It has baffles in it and aircraft fuel caps. The indentation is for the quick release from the plane. Sam

 

Ohh, duh..I should have thought fuel tank, even has the gas cap. Teach me to post when Im half asleep, and beat from the day.

 

Oh, that's mine. It fell off as I was flying over your neck of the woods.

 

I've never seen one that size non-flanged.

 

Geeze man the guys just looking for some information. No need to be a dick about it.

 

Don't think he was bein' a dick at all! Sounds to me like he was sayin' he screwed up! We all do at one time or another.

 

Sam, if I were you I would run away from home as fast as your hot rod will take you. Your dad is a bad influence on you, he's gonna want to take it to Bonneville and you will be the meat in the seat. Just a heads up ......................................

 

HI: It has a tag on it that says Areo Craft Corp, anyone heard of them?

 

Maybe a Hawker Sea Fury belly tank they were tall enough to handle a tank that big. Also try an F4U Corsair both . Rob.

 

I looked thse up, I don't think thats what it is. The Sea Fury and Coarsair tanks from what I gathered are steel and smaller. THANKS Chris

 

Looks like its from an early jet like a P-80, definitely pre dates the Century series of fighters I would be looking in early jet age for a match, thats when the external tanks started to become more streamlined like that one is.

Doc.

EDIT, this is the edited version, I was way off in what I first wrote!!

 

You might be on to something Doc.

 

HI: That looks like the closest yet.

 

THANKs for the help identifing the tank , now I can list it for sale on the hamb. Chris

 

You might want to list it on E-bay too. From what I understand they go for crazy money sometimes.

Another idea is to pull a mold off of it, then you could repo it in fiberglass and if you did a good mold you could make multiple copies.

Just ideas.

 

Yep, it's a F-80 / P-80 wingtip drop tank and probably DAMN RARE. I dont think any one is flying a F/P-80, but some one may be restoring one out there.

 

HI: Have this for sale on HAMB parts ,$1500.00 OBO, Just as soon trade for speed parts or ????? THANKS Chris

 

Bump

 

Sorry, no way thats a P-80/ T-33 variant tip tank .Those planes were only 34 ft long, no way a13 ft tank would fit on those. My guess from my USAF crew chief days this could be a fixed non- jettisonable tip tank from something like a B-57 bomber. Great find though and it'll make a super B-ville toy.

 

I think that tank sat a few miles from where I used to live and by the time I heard it was for sale it was gone. But you would have bought it from the guys who beat me to it. If it was here in the Yakima Valley that is.

 

MR.48 CHEVY; The tank came from odessa Washington. Chris

 

That Tank will make a nice salt car with a little work!
that would be a good score!!!!

OL Deuce

 

Still havent figured out exactly what it's off of.

 

Anybody need this?

 

I know where there's one of those for sale...$400 I think with some other belly tank parts. Wish I had the room...

 

So is this now a classifieds ad?

 

You have to excuse Chris, he's from Rock Island Wa.!
Hey Chris about I buy you a hot lunch for that salt shaker?