Projects Show me your B17 air/fuel tanks

Thanks to everyone that posted, Dad was a B-17 Armorer, always enjoy reading about B-17 history. Bob

 

One of 2 or 3 I have. Believe these are mounting brackets for aircraft. Some jobber in the 50s added to it and made a roll around compressor unit. Motor and pump were junk.

 

I haven't seen any around these parts. I do have a beer keg saved for a fuel tank someday.

 

Haven't seen any around here either, I too have a beer keg though.. although it's a mini beer keg. About the size of the old gasser grille mount moon gas tanks.

Thought about polishing it up and using it on a go-kart for grandkids...

...

 

Snoc, what swap meets do you get to around these parts? I see one at about every other swap meet.

 

I have two of them that I bought to co-join to make a gas tank for my 34 coupe. Will need to put some baffles and other such fun inside of them.

 

Here is the one I got about 25 years ago. It is stainless steel and weighs about 80 lbs. It is laying in the bed of my 1933 Ford BB 1 ton. Everything is bigger in Texas!

 

Here's what I did with mine. 2 with stainless crossovers. Mounted on the sides to the roll bar. With a clear fuel hose.

 

I always thought they were made out of aluminum, they are so light. My small town Mobil station had one for an air tank, and it was light when I was a little kid. If they were made out of stainless-that would have been alot of extra weight on those bombers.

 

Perhaps not. Stainless has a far higher tensile strength than aluminum (depending on exact alloy) so with a stronger material you can get away with less thickness, the weight could end upp around the same for the same strength tank.
This kind of trade off works well in a device only under tension such as a pressurized vessel, in other designs you may have to take stiffness and other properties in account too. In such a case case the big thickness reduction would usually mean it becomes far more flimsy too.

 

Working around hospitals, I often see workers sucking on an oxygen tube early in the AM before heading into surgery...it works great!

 

Sorry, I've since gone another direction.

 

Found this one in a barn sale out east. Not installed but still in use.

 

bttt

 

In the fwiw & might solve a problem category;
Iffen you're running two(or more) tanks, IH used a fuel-flow-switch on the '60s-'74 Pu's & Travelalls, on some early Scouts, as well as up-to 2.5T trucks; that used dual tanks. Mounted on the dash, short pull to switch tanks, ~ 1/4 turn to switch the fuel-level gauge readings. No JY around? For used, could try the BinderPlanet.com, or LightLine of Louisiana for new parts.
Marcus...

 

Bennett's Customs has a couple of videos on youtube showing him making a couple. Guy is very talented and creative.

 

He does amazing work, I wonder what it would cost to have all that work done?

 

I just bought one yesterday at an auction. still has the stenciling and orig paint. embarassed to say what I paid.

 

I have owned one for years with the intention of using it as a fuel tank for my model A. I was pleased to learn in this thread that they are stainless and not aluminum like I had assumed.

 

the stands he made for the big one are also super nice. he's a member here on the HAMB @jordabennett

 

Here’s how I did one in a ‘29 roadster. The tank mounted with brackets to the roll bar. The large T-bolt clamps are from a marine supply place. The stainless fittings and aluminum cap are from Tanks Inc. The tank is a little on the small side as it only holds 9 gallons- but the car was designed to be a short distance bar hopper.

 

Great thread with some good info.

 

They were in these. This one has Studebaker Radials on it and the Turbo were made by Maytag. Thats the last military aircraft I flew. We had just replaced 2 Turbos on it, they were New Old Stock and we just had to test them before it went back to the Confederate Air Force. This was around 1970.

 

Great idea, very cool!

 

Bitchin looking lights

 

Mine is currently in a "ready to be converted to a gas tank" condition.

 

How much fuel does it hold? Been thinking of doing this to the two I have for my roadster

 

Gotmark73 What is the shear point on those kingpins?

 

My cousin had one he said I could have, he used it as an air tank in his racing days.

Before I could get over to pick it up his son in law started ramming and jamming with a backhoe and ran over it!
He also broke the front clip off my cousin’s first race car that was still in the backyard, a car that had raced in the Peratex NASCAR sportsman/modified race at Daytona!