If anyone has any doubt about the effectiveness of foam please read the following statement. This is from a friend of mine who under the circumstances I am sure will not mind me repeating it here. This aircraft landed with fuel pouring from its wings. The crew were hit 19 times with everything up to 57mm. The ac was loaded with SF Troops and they all survived......
Our technical manuals still carry performance numbers for aircraft with and without foam, but there isn't a Herk in the USAF inventory that doesn't carry reticulated foam in the tanks. They have been in since at least the 60's, and we still replace and service this foam before any aircraft going through heavy/depot/Marshall's maintenance gets returned to the fleet. There were problems with the foam breaking up and clogging the fuel filters, but there haven't been any operational problems with it. The MC-130H that was forced down in Turkey on the first night of OIF (the crew got the PK Carlton award) took several hits in the wings with no damage other than fuel leaking out of the holes. They were engaged by everything up to 57mm at the same altitude Steady was flying. It is a miracle that only one crew has been lost taking on the risks that the USAF and DOD have avoided and eliminated through kit, training and leadership changes since 1987.
I have edited these comments.
Last edited by nigegilb; 13th Mar 2006 at 10:11.