Tokyo Tanks

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Tokyo tanks were internally-mounted self-sealing fuel tanks used in the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber during World War II. Although nicknamed "Tokyo" tanks to dramatically illustrate the significant range they added to the B-17 (approximately 40% greater with combat weights), it was also an exaggeration in that no B-17 ever had the range to bomb Japan from any base in World War II. These fuel tanks consisted of eighteen removable rubberized-compound containers, called cells, installed inside the main wings of the airplane, nine to each side. The main wings of the B-17 consisted of an "inboard wing" mounted to the fuselage and mounting the engines and flaps, and an "outboard wing" joined to the inboard wing and carrying only the ailerons.