039 - The Self-Sealing Fuel Tank

When aircrews like those of the G4M Medium Bomber had to worry about the safety of their planes, it quickly became of great concern for military leaders. What good was to have hundreds of planes if none reached their target? None, so engineers were responsible for making fuel tanks more resistant to enemy gunfire.

While Japanese companies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries were hard at work in Japan, manufacturers were hard at work in the United States, too.

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One such engineer was George Murdock, who had created one of the first ‘self-sealing fuel tanks’ in the United States. The fuel tanks used alternating layers of rubber and man-made fabrics surrounding a sealant made to ooze into bullet holes.

Soon, British planes, such as the Spitfire and Hurricane, were also using this technology. However, these fuel tanks were heavier and sometimes less efficient than the original fuel tanks, so planes like the Japanese G4M Bomber went unprotected.

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Throughout the war, engineers improved designs for everything used in the war, whether it was self-sealing fuel tanks, faster airplanes, or even “windproof, waterproof, and foolproof” Zippo Lighters, which were issued to every man in the American Armed Forces. Ironically, every Zippo lighter came with the guarantee that “Every Zippo works, or we fix it for free.”