Overwing tanks had not been fitted for some years by the early 1980s, their limitations (subsonic only, 20 kt crosswind limit on dry rather than 25kt, etc.) being deemed to be more of a nuisance than their fuel was worth. So they were stored at North Coates in a shed and covered in bird poo when we suddenly become interested in them again in 1981.
This interest was sparked by a little technical trouble on a Taceval part 1, after which we forensically inspected our tasking paperwork and re-discovered the requirement to be able to role into overburgers. This had died from neglect, two-year posting cycles being a wonderful killer of corporate memory...
The least poo-ed on pair of OWTs were retrieved and made serviceable, then another etc. until we had four pairs through the tank bay. All the seals had perished but the Suppliers had a stock. However, making the OWTs behave correctly on an aircraft took several days. Eventually we succeeded (and pilots queued up to fly with with them but, I noticed, only once...) and we carefully noted which tanks successfully matched with which station on which airframe. Come Taceval part 2 we were given the task to role one aircraft in OWTs, so we selected the airframe and the tanks apparently 'at random' but in reality via some fast footwork the airframe/tank match we wanted. So from a supposedly cold start, producing a serviceable OWT-fitted aircraft took us only about 3 hours. The aircraft was then scrambled IIRC on an endurance CAP with no tanker support to prove to the evaluators that the tanks worked. Big tick in box.
Come Op Corporate we roled and flew 2 F6s in OWTs (and were prepping two more), prompting the editor of the Grimsby Evening Telegraph, who had the habit of looking out of his window, to call up to ask when we were "going to the South Atlantic". We weren't, we were just trying to get ahead of the game if anything popped up, but he didn't believe us.
The big jettison cartridges for the tanks themselves ceased to exist in the 1970s, IIRC, when they became time-expired and weren't replaced because of the damage they were known to cause. Pilot's Notes (mine are to AL15 in 1980) never caught up. The only cartridges fitted were for fuel jettison from the tanks themselves, in their rear boat-tail fairings.
And ORAC, I am afraid no T5 could be fitted with OWTs because they had F3 wings; the T55s with F6 wings undoubtedly could, but we had none of those. LTF's target, IIRC was an F6 with an additional forward fuel pack in place of the guns. I don't recall fitting OWTs to it in my time but I bet such a vehicle with a Fresnel lens was a very useful radar target.
Last edited by D120A; 31st Jul 2012 at 21:31.
Reason: My English; apologies.