SOAF Defender
 

I have been reading 'We Won A War' by John Akehurst in which he mentions the role of the Defender in the conflict.
He mentions that one time when the aircraft was being used as a radio relay for the ground forces that it flew for nine hours.
Was this aircraft capable of nine hours un-refuelled flight? Or does he mean a total of nine hours flight time during the operation it was supporting?

Wiki suggests something like 7 hours cruise, so if loitering, quite possibly 9 hours. It's big brother, the Trislander, wasn't known as the "Britten-Norman Bladderbuster" for nothing.

Defender endurance
 

Under wing tanks on pylons an option on the Defender (not to mention rockets and all manner of expensive extra's)

POBJOY
To the best of my knowledge, the Omani Defenders did not use pylons at all.
They only had internal fuel. I just didn't realise that they had that much.
Nine hours in a Defender must leave the pilot with a flat backside! Not to mention, as HEROD pointed out, needing a toilet break!

Did a number of 9+ hour days strapped into a helicopter in that part of the world without the need to "ease springs" - I guess that the temperature makes your body more reluctant to expel fluids....

They had the facility for a quick refuel

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/full_si...6164-large.jpg

Aaah, a Kelston pump, or a variant thereof. However, the drums shouldn't be stored like that. Bringing them up to vertical will distribute any water residue in there. They should be stored upright, so the water sinks to the bottom, where a fitment at the end of the pump keeps it clear of the water level.

Thank you all for your replies:ok:

I was trying to ignore (forget) the wobble pump. Lovely exercise in those sort of temperatures. (Wessex, Aden '67)

I don't think it matters if they're empty ...

:}:ok: Doh, didn't think of that.

The full fuel drums are often stored lying down, particularly where there is dew or rain. This stops water being retained in the top of the drum by virtue of the raised 'lip'. The cap should be positioned as near to the top of the drum lid when it is lying down.

When required the drum is 'stood up' and the first action having removed the cap is to carry out a water test with a syringe and the little capsules. Ideally, the pipe inserted in the drum should not reach the bottom and again, ideally, anything left over should not be retained for aviation purposes. It is also sensible to 'flush' the cap with fuel before using it as a receptacle for the fuel drawn off for testing.

On airstrips in the Far East, one problem with any stacks was what creepy crawlies might have made their home amongst the drums.

Four gallon flimsies and a chamois filter in the dark ages :p