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  #6001  
Old 12-06-2018, 04:16 PM
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Originally Posted by murphyaa View Post
I was just asked a question from a researcher at 1000aircraftphotos.com regarding the XP-81. The Merlin-powered version had 2 "protruberances" under the wings, that for some reason, nobody knows what they were for. He specifically said the description on their site is an assumption and possibly wrong. Does anybody here know what they were for?

Maybe if someone has a copy, or access to, the XP-81 book by Ginter, there might be some info there:
https://www.amazon.com/Consolidated-.../dp/0942612876


John
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  #6002  
Old 12-06-2018, 04:24 PM
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It could be that only pics of the Packard engine aircraft with the pylons exist.
The turboprop version does have what appear to be pylon attachment covers
outboard of the guns.

I did also find a drawing from solidmodelmemories that shows external tanks on those pylons.
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  #6003  
Old 12-06-2018, 04:33 PM
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Originally Posted by murphyaa View Post
They're rather large for faired over pylons. Plus they're only on the Merlin-powered version. My thought is they're related to that. Either oil or coolant tanks.
My guess is that Vultee used surplus brass/ammo link catchers to experiment with adding/moving around additional weights in order to gently affect centre of gravity to remedy directional stability issues they had.Wiki mentions that those issues have been solved by enlarging vertical tail but a bit later it writes that wings have been moved aft by 10 inches.

That's just a pure speculation on my part.
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  #6004  
Old 12-06-2018, 05:18 PM
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We need somebody with access to any documentation to chime in. Both planes are in storage at the Air Force museum, so there have to be plans. Maybe plans or documentation still exist.
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  #6005  
Old 12-06-2018, 05:33 PM
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I can't offer a solid model plan as authoritative, but this model plan (originally published in Air Trails) shows fuel tanks hung on those pylons; Air Trails - Convair XP-81 - Solid Model Memories

It's not the Packard-Merlin version, but there they are.

Don
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  #6006  
Old 12-06-2018, 05:41 PM
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duplicate post.
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  #6007  
Old 12-06-2018, 05:54 PM
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I'm not contesting that it had hardpoints. What I'm curious about are exactly what the pods in the picture are. They're weird looking and small for fuel tanks.
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  #6008  
Old 12-06-2018, 06:03 PM
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In the Air Trails drawing, the fuel tank pylons appear to be in the same location, the same size, and and the same angle relative to the undersurface of the wing as the mystery pods in the photograph. My guess is that the "pods" are fuel tank pylons, which I think was Ray's view.

Also found the attached. Having no solid evidence, this is as far as I can go on the basis of old solid model plans and comic books.

Don
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  #6009  
Old 12-06-2018, 06:29 PM
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Since they still exist just looking at wing location of containers will tell what was it.Extra fuel lines,drop chutes from MGs or wiring will be rather obvious unless it was removed over the years.
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  #6010  
Old 12-06-2018, 09:13 PM
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According to Wikipedia, both aircraft were stripped of usable parts, then dumped on a bomb/photo range until the mid 90's. Then they were salvaged, and have been in storage at the USAF museum ever since. We'd be lucky if they still even have their wings.
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