Originally Posted by
India Four Two
This passage seems to imply that the overwing tanks were of no value. Could you expand on you description?
I don't think it implies that at all.
I don't have any specialist knowledge of the Lightning, but I assume that the overwing tanks transferred fuel into the main fuel (wing/belly tank) system to keep it topped up.
So a failure of the transfer system en route would leave the aircraft with the range/endurance corresponding to the normal tankage, with diversion alternates having been planned accordingly, but with everything working as intended the range would be greatly increased.