In the official factory photo to the left, the overall shape of the rack can be seen, as well as the unusual "ball and socket" ends on the anti-sway braces. These items (d) slotted into the corresponding pads (c) seen in the photo below.
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External tank and mountings |
| The drop tank rack
as fitted to the F through K series was a fairly simple affair consisting
of simple steel rack with four anti-sway braces, a shackle, and a
streamlined fairing to cover the assembly when mounted to the aircraft.
In the official factory photo to the left, the overall shape of the rack can be seen, as well as the unusual "ball and socket" ends on the anti-sway braces. These items (d) slotted into the corresponding pads (c) seen in the photo below.
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In addition to the mounting pads, other items of note in this photo are:
(a) fuel delivery pipe (b) pressurized air feed pipe (c) anti-sway lugs (d) spring steel retaining strap (e) mechanical shackle assembly (f) connecting eye (g) release lever (h) shackle catch |
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| In order to align the tank assembly with the fuel and air delivery lines which ran beneath the aircraft slightly to the left of the centerline, the rack and fairing was designed in such a way that the shackle itself was centered along the axis of the aircraft, while fairing was offset 40mm to port; this can be seen in the photo of the Avia CS-199 at right. |  |
| Here is an example
of an original rack, photographed at Tom Reilly's Bombertown facility a
couple years ago; note the simple construction, as well as the light metal
fairing.
The hole at the front as well as the U-shaped channel at the rear of the fairing allow a constant flow of air which dissipates the gun gases from the central 20mm cannon; these were vented overboard via a fixed vent in the floor of the casing collection area for the spent 20mm shells. In the lower photo at right of G-6 W.Nr.160756 at the National Air And Space Museum, this vent can be seen as well as the connecting tubes for the pressurized air feed and fuel line. |
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| Photographed at the same time as the rack above were these two original 300 liter drop tanks in excellent condition; there were a total of four tanks present, one of which was painted in black for use on night fighters (the nose is just visible to the left). |  |
