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Here's one to watch for. If you are transfering fighters across the pacific, you can transfer into a location using drop tanks, find that new location doesn't support drop tanks, and be unable to transfer out anywhere, including the place you just came from.

I'm speaking purely theoretically, of course. I would never fall into that trap myself [8|]

Also, some planes don't carry weapons when they carry the drop tanks! I think some of the old bi-plane torpedo bombers fall into this category. Use the drops tanks for transfer, but if you set the drop tanks "ON" thinking you will get longer range attacks, you will actually get no attacks.

Good to know thanks[:)]

As a general rule drop tanks were used to give fighter escorts enough range to make it to the target with the bombers. Until the P-51 came online most of the fighters could not make it from England to Berlin (some couldn't make it that far even with drop tanks). The use of drop tanks on attack aircraft didn't really start until later in the war.

Best bet is to treat any early war aircraft that has drop tanks available as either a ferry mission or as an escort fighter group.

The thing to do is, with the squadron display open, click on 'aircraft data' near the lower left-hand corner. See what is the aircraft loadout. Go back to the squadron screen and select 'use drop tanks', then go back to the aircraft data screen and look again at the loadout.

In some cases you will see drop tanks added and all the other stuff retained. In other cases you will see drop tanks added and some things deleted (like the dang torpedo!).

ORIGINAL: witpqs

The thing to do is, with the squadron display open, click on 'aircraft data' near the lower left-hand corner. See what is the aircraft loadout. Go back to the squadron screen and select 'use drop tanks', then go back to the aircraft data screen and look again at the loadout.

In some cases you will see drop tanks added and all the other stuff retained. In other cases you will see drop tanks added and some things deleted (like the dang torpedo!).

In the case of the Swordfish and other planes that are search capable but lose their weapons, the drop tanks would be usefull in the recon or naval search role...not that I would waste them in that manner, but they are possibilities.

ahha!!! Thats why they don't attack....[;)] thanks