Conformal fuel tank

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An F-15E Strike Eagle fitted with conformal fuel tanks under the wing roots.

CFTs being removed from an F-15E.

Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs) are additional fuel tanks fitted closely to the profile of an aircraft which
extend either the range or "time on station" of the aircraft, with little aerodynamic penalty compared to the
same fuel capacity carried in external "drop tanks".
Conformal fuel tanks have the disadvantage that, unlike drop tanks, they cannot be discarded when
empty. This is because conformal tanks are "plumbed" into the aircraft, and can only be removed on the
ground. Thus, when the CFTs are empty, the aircraft continues to suffer the same aerodynamic penalty,
with no benefit. However, to use the Eurofighter Typhoon as an example, an aircraft with CFTs can carry a
full weapons load and two 1,500 litre CFTs, whereas a Typhoon without CFTs has to sacrifice at least two
weapons pylons to carry drop tanks, reducing either range or weapons load.
CFTs also have the advantages of not significantly increasing an aircraft's radar cross-section, and
allowing a higher maximum speed than drop tanks.
[edit]Examples

F-15/F-15E
F-15C entered service with CFT capability. Initially known as FAST packs (Fuel And Sensor Tactical),
each unit carried an additional 849 gallons (3,214 liters) of fuel and were first tested on the F-15B in
1974. Today only Israeli F-15C/Ds regularly use CFT's. All U.S. F-15Es, and Strike Eagle export
variants such as the IAF and Singapore models, are fitted with CFT's and require modification to fly
without them. The FASTPack was originally intended to carry a navigational and targeting infrared
sensor system (thus "Fuel And Sensor"); however, the F-15 simply began carrying LANTIRN pods for
ground-attack missions instead.

F-16
Export aircraft for Greece, Israel, Poland, Singapore and the UAE all plumbed for carriage of two
CFTs, each capable of holding 450 gallons (1,701 litres)

Rafale
Two 1,150 litre CFTs were first tested by Dassault in April 2001.

Typhoon
Wind tunnel tested by BAE, two CFTs carrying 1,500 litres.

EE Lightning[1]

Gloster Javelin[2]

Gloster Meteor[3]

J-6[4]

Gripen

Q-5[5]