Flexible Fuel Tanks

> Flexible Fuel Tanks

Aero Sekur experience in the field of flexible fuel tanks has been acquired during more than thirty years of production activity. These tanks are fitted to aircraft, marine craft, armoured vehicles and car as well as racing cars. Flexible fuel tanks in rubber coated fabric were first introduced in the aviation field several years ago; they have been used since then with increasing frequency and today are fitted on almost all aircrafts, especially military aircrafts. Flexible fuel tanks in rubber-coated fabric are exempt from the typical drawbacks of rigid metal tanks (e.g. weld failure due to vibration or fatigue stress) and can be shaped into the most complex patterns to match available empty spaces in the fuselage and wings of the aircraft. In addition, they can be introduced into the allotted bays through relatively small openings owing to the high flexibility of the fuel tank walls.

Flexible fuel tanks realized by using rubber and rubber-coated fabrics are essentially of two types: Standard tanks Crash-resistant tanks. Each type is available in three versions: Self-sealing Non self-sealing Partially self-sealing. The standard non crash-resistant flexible tank was the first to be introduced and is still widely in use in the non self-sealing and partially self-sealing versions.

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> Flexible Fuel Tanks

The crash-resistant flexible tank was developed with the object of eliminating the risk of fire on impact, particularly in view of the widespread use of helicopters for troop transport and other tactical missions. An investigation of flight accidents over a considerable number of years has demonstrated that, in many cases, death and serious injuries were the direct consequence of fire arising from ignition of the massive spills from ruptured fuel tanks.

A subsequent three-years survey of helicopters operating with crash-resistant fuel systems showed that the outbreak of fire following accidents had decreased by 70-75%. The present trend, therefore, is to fit crash-resistant fuel systems on all helicopters. Aero Sekur crash-resistant tanks are produced in compliance with USA Specification MIL-T-27422 B and can be used for aviation fuels complying with USA Specifications MIL-G-5572 (gasoline) and MIL-T-5024 (turbine fuels).

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The tank wall is made of high-strength fabrics which are approximately seven times stronger than ordinary fabrics. The self-sealing tank have walls that, when pierced by bullets, close immediately over the holes and cut off any fuel leak so that the aircraft can return to its base or, at the worst, make an emergency landing.

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> Flexible Fuel Tanks

The wall of this type of tank consists of successive layers of rubber-coated fabrics, nylon barrier and self-sealing natural rubber; the overall thickness of the wall can vary from 3,5 mm to 6 mm depending on the required level of ballistic protection. Aero Sekur self-sealing tanks are produced in compliance with USA Specification MIL-T-5578 C and can be used for both aviation gasoline and turbine fuels. Aero Sekur self-sealing constructions have self-sealing capability against 7.62, 12.7, 20 and 23 caliber bullets.

Non self-sealing tanks have a wall consisting of a nylon barrier (entirely impervious to aviation fuels) sandwiched between two layers of rubber-coated fabric; the overall thickness of the wall being slightly less than 1 mm. Aero Sekur non self-sealing tanks are produced in compliance with USA Specification MIL-T-6396 E and can be used for both aviation gasoline and turbine fuels. Flexible tanks made of Aero Sekur constructions can be continuously or intermittently supported in the bay where they are installed. Partially self-sealing tanks are realized with composite constructions and are adopted when the self-sealing protection is required in specific limited areas of the wall surface only. Adeguate protection is provided in this way with the additional advantage of a reduction in weight and cost of the fuel tank.

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> Flexible Fuel Tanks

The Quality Control Manual adopted by Aero Sekur complies with the following standards: Italian Air Force AER-Q-1 to AER-Q-9, NATO AQAP-1, BS 5750, DIN ISO 9001 and USA MIL-Q-9858A and has been approved by Italian military and civil Authorities. The Aero Sekur Company is acknowledged as "Approved Supplier" by the Italian M.O.D. (D.G.C.A.A.A.S.) with NATO Supply Code A 4647, by the Registro Aeronautico Italiano (R.A.I.), by the Registro Italiano Navale (RINA) and by leading aircraft industries in Italy and other European countries. Aero Sekur can offer its customers highly-specialized teams of experts capable of providing any type of technical assistance, from prototype design and engineering to the production, installation, maintenance and repair of all types of fuel tanks.

To date, Aero Sekur has supplied outfit and spare fuel tanks for a very wide range of aeroplanes and helicopters.

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> Flexible Fuel Tanks

The following are some of the most significant applications: Aeritalia NATO Fighter G 91 Aeritalia-Macchi AM3C-AL60 Aeritalia-Macchi-Embraer AM-X Aermacchi MB326-MB339 Agusta-Bell AB204-AB205-AB206 Agusta-Bell AB212-AB212ASW Agusta-Bell AB205-AB412-AB412 SP Crash Resistant Agusta A109-A109 A Agusta A129 Mangusta Agusta-Sikorsky AS61-HH3F-SH3D Elicotteri Meridionali-Boeing CH47C Chinook-CH47C Crash Resistant U.S.A.F. H-53 U.S. NAVY H-3 Lockeed-Aeritalia F 104 G/S Starfighter Rinaldo Piaggio P 166 M Siai Marchetti S 211 B1 - C1 - M112 Armoured Vehicles Furthermore some of the more well-known shipyards and sport cars manufacturers have selected Skur fuel tanks for their most demanding programs.

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Aero Sekur S.p.A.

Via delle Valli 46 04011 Aprilia (LT)

+3906920161 (phone) +390692727165 (fax) www.aerosekur.com