Dropout fuel tanks aircraft

A dropable main fuel tank that comprises a portion of an aircrafts lower fuselage or part of the wing structure contains all nonessential fuel for takeoff or landing. Airfoils, parachute, or rocket motor built into the main fuel tank will separate the main fuel tank from the aircraft quickly when dropped or released in a possible crash situation, thus preventing the aircraft from being consumed by its own nonessential fuel in a crash. A nondroppable auxiliary fuel tank on the aircraft will sustain the aircraft after the main fuel tank has been dropped. The auxiliary fuel tank contains only enough fuel for takeoff and landing. Shackels and parallel tracks hold the droppable main fuel tank in place on the aircraft until the main fuel tank is released for subsequent ejection rearward. In refueling the aircraft an external control panel on the aircraft will release the main fuel tank onto a refueling vehicle for refueling at a nearby fuel dump.

SUMMARY 
The present invention relates to the problem of aircraft crashing and being 
consumed by their own fuel, it has been estimated that two out of three 
people survive a air crash only to be burned to death before they can get 
out of the aircraft. 
The present invention is a means of disposing of all nonesential fuel in 
landing or takeoff, for example. In taking off with a failing engine the 
sudden loss of weight in droping all nonesential fuel could conceiveable 
get a aircraft airborn instead of a flaming crash at the runway end. In 
landing a plane with mechanical problems could drop it's main fuel tank on 
the runway and land with it's small amount of auxiliary fuel. The 
auxiliary fuel tank is comparatively small and can be made nearly shatter 
proof, therefor in a crash the chances of a fuel fed fire is at a minimum. 
The main fuel tank has a slowing means such as airfoils, parachute, or 
rocket motor built into it to separate the main fuel tank from the 
aircraft quickly. In a possible crash situation a pilot would have only a 
few seconds to release the main fuel tank so it is imperative that the 
main fuel tank is separated from the aircraft quickly. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a faster means of refueling 
large aircraft, special fuel handeling vehicles could remove dropable main 
fuel tanks as aircraft land, when a aircraft is ready to fly again deliver 
full tanks to them. This system would reduce the fire hazard of aircraft 
siting around leaking fuel on the runway or parking area, also the 
refueling time of aircraft would be cut in half.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
In the drawings FIG. 1 is a aircraft wing with a dropout main fuel tank 1 
in place. If the pilot decides the aircraft is in immediate danger of a 
crash the main fuel tank 1 can be separated from the wing instantly by 
appropriate pilot controlling media (not shown). The control media 
activates a hydraulic ram 18 in the trailing edge of the main fuel tank 1 
as shown in FIG. 4. The hydraulic rod 15 is extended from the hydraulic 
ram 18, and arms 5 attached to the rod 15 end and to the air foils 2 force 
the air foils open. The shackels that hold the main fuel tank 1 in place 
are released by the action of the air foils (suitable shackels not shown). 
The air flow over the wing surface hits the air foils 2 and exerts a 
tremendous pressure on them which in turn pulles the main fuel tank 1 away 
from the wing and to the rear of the aircraft. 
The main fuel tank is guided to the rear by tracks 10, (not shown) said 
tracks 10 being suitable to support the main fuel tank when it is part of 
the wing structure, said tracks 10 are located between the sides of the 
main fuel tank 1 and the inner wing structure that faces the main fuel 
tank 1 sides. 
FIG. 2 is a aircraft wing after a crash, it's main fuel tank 1 (not shown) 
has been droped so no fire takes place. 
FIG. 3 is a cross section of a aircraft wing showing the main wing support 
3 and a dropout main fuel tank 1 directly behind it. Airfoils 2 in this 
cross section are laying flat as in normal flying condition. 
Appropriate initiation of means (not shown) for severing all necessary fuel 
lines and control connections ready the main fuel tank for the subsequent 
emergency ejection operation. Most aircraft crash in landing or takeoff, 
so in most cases the main fuel tank 1 can be droped on the runway. 
Small auxiliary fuel tanks 12 in the wing ends will sustain the aircraft in 
flight for a short time so that the aircraft can land. If in landing or 
takeoff the aircraft does crash there will be very little fuel left in the 
auxiliary fuel tanks 12, and the chance of this fuel igniting and burning 
the fuselage are very small. 
FIG. 5 is a aircraft in flight front view and shows a lower fuselage main 
fuel tank 1. The main fuel tank 1 in this case has air foils 2 and 
parachute 14 means in combination. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, in FIG. 
5 the fuselage is shown in cross section at section line 20 in FIG. 6. For 
example, this aircraft is trying to takeoff with full fuel tanks 1, the 
pilot has discovered engine No. 13 is failing and he cannot gain height, 
the runway is to short to make a landing now. The pilot decides to drop 
his main fuel tank 1 and use his auxiliary fuel tanks 12, and does so by 
using appropriate pilot controlling media (not shown). As shown in FIG. 7 
(a cross section of the showing means). The control media releases the 
cover 4 to the pilot chute which in turn pulles the pilot chute free, 
which in turn pulls the main parachute 14 free, which in turn pulls on a 
central arm 19 connected to arms 5 that force the air foils 2 open. The 
control media also releases the bomb release shackels or the like that 
hold the main fuel tank 1 in place (shackels not shown). The air flow past 
the aircraft catches the parachute 14 and airfoils instantly and pulls the 
fuel tank to the rear of the aircraft. 
In FIG. 7 the arms at 5 are shown extended and holding the airfoils 2 open, 
at 5A they are shown in a retracted position. 
With the loss of all nonesential fuel contained in the main fuel tank, the 
weight of the aircraft is reduced considerably and concievably the 
aircraft could get airborn. Small auxiliary fuel tanks 12 in the wings 
will sustain the aircraft until it can land. 
FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 illustrate how a aircraft can be refueled by replacing 
it's dropable main fuel tank. 
FIG. 8 is a aircraft parked on a runway, the fuselage is in cross section 
at section line 20, as shown in FIG. 9. The front landing gear is not 
shown however a low profile fuel handeling motor vehicle 6 is shown with 
it's hydraulic lift cradle 7 in place ready to lower the aircrafts dropout 
main fuel tank 1. The fuel tank 1 is released from the aircraft by 
appropriate initiation means for severing all necessary fuel lines and 
control connections, a external control pannel 8 for releasing the fuel 
tank 1 can be found at 8. After the fuel tank 1 has been released from the 
aircraft and lowered onto the fuel handeling motor vehicle 6, said vehicle 
6 will proceed to a fueling station, another fuel handeling vehicle 6 will 
replace the fuel tank 1 removed with a similar fuel tank 1, 
The aircraft is ready to fly in much less time than normal refueling. 
FIG. 9 is a side view of FIG. 8. A low profile motorized refueling vehicle 
6 is shown under the aircraft 17. The refueling vehicle 6 has a operators 
open cockpit at 9 with easy access to the release controls pannel at 8. 
Vertical hydraulic rams can be seen at 18, the rams support hydraulic rods 
15 which in turn support the cradles 7. FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12 show 
a aircraft with a lower fuselage main fuel tank 1 that can be separated 
from the aircraft by use of a rocket motor 11 mounted on the fuel tank 1, 
said fuel tank 1 is supported on the fuselage 17 by suitable horizontal 
track means 10, preferably a plurality of laterally spaced tracks 10 
extend longitudinally along the top of the fuel tank. The upper track 
surface means on the fuselage suitably supporting a mating undersurface 
track means on the fuel tank. 
FIG. 11 shows a side view of the aircraft. The aircrafts main fuel tank 1 
can be seen seperating from the aircraft during a catapult phase of 
emergency ejection. A rocket motor 11 mounted on the fuel tank 1 is shown 
forcing the fuel tank rearward. 
The pilot can seperate the main fuel tank 1 by appropriate pilot 
controlling media (not shown). The control media activates the rocket 
motor 11 and severs all necessary fuel lines and control connections for 
the subsequent emergency ejection operation. 
FIG. 12 is a front view of FIG. 11. The fuselage is in cross section at 
section line 20 in FIG. 11. The rocket motor 11 can be seen on the front 
of the fuel tank 1, parallel tracks (end view) at 10 are shown supporting 
the main fuel tank 1. Auxiliary fuel tanks at 12 will sustain the aircraft 
after all nonesential fuel in the main fuel tank 1 has been separated from 
the aircraft. 
FIG. 13, FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 illustrate how a small aircraft can use a 
dropable main fuel tank. 
FIG. 13 is a small aircraft in flight, a dropable main fuel tank 1 can be 
seen comprizing a portion of the lower fuselage. This fuel tank 1 has a 
parachute 14 to slow it's forward movement when droped in a possible crash 
situation. The fuel tank 1 is supported on the fuselage 17 by suitable 
bomb release shackels or the like (not shown). 
The pilot can seperate the main fuel tank 1 by appropriate pilot 
controlling media (not shown). The control media releases the spring 
loaded cover 4 to the pilot chute which pulles the pilot chute free, which 
in turn pulles the main parachute free, 14 which in turn releases the 
shackels that hold the fuel tank 1 in place. The control media also severs 
all necessary fuel lines and control connections for the subsequent 
emergency ejection operation. 
FIG. 14 shows the aircraft of FIG. 13 after emergency ejection of all 
nonesential fuel in the main fuel tank 1, the aircraft is now sustained in 
flight by auxiliary fuel tanks 12 in the wing, preferably mounted in the 
wing tips as far from the passenger compartment as possible. 
FIG. 15 is a dropable main fuel tank 1 after ejection from FIG. 14. The 
fuel tank 1 is being slowed in it's forward movement and will subsequently 
be lowered to the ground intact (alditude permiting). 
As in all cases where an aircraft is equipped with a dropable main fuel 
tank 1 and a nondropable auxiliary fuel tank 12, the auxiliary fuel tank 
12 contains only enoughf fuel for a normal landing or takeoff. As such 
they are small and can be constructed nearly shatterproof, preferably the 
auxiliary fuel tank is carried in the wing tip as far from the passenger 
compartment as possible. 
The pilot control media will regulate the amount of fuel in the auxiliary 
fuel tank 12. Fuel lines (not shown) will allow the auxiliary fuel tank 12 
to be completely drained into the main fuel tank 1, for subsequent 
removing of all fuel from the aircraft, in parking the aircraft, all fuel 
can be removed from it by removing the aircrafts main fuel tank 1. When 
the aircraft is ready to fly again auxiliary fuel tanks 12 can be refilled 
from the main fuel tank 1.