Editing Drop tank (section)

==Overview==
{{anchor|Aeronautic}}
[[File:US Navy 100525-N-6003P-076 Aviation Ordnancemen 3rd Class Eric Johnson and Robert Latner complete a 364-day inspection of an F-A-18C Hornet in the hangar bay of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).jpg|thumb|Drop tank storage aboard {{USS|Harry S. Truman|CVN-75}}]]
The primary disadvantage with drop tanks is that they impose a drag penalty on the aircraft. External fuel tanks will also increase the [[moment of inertia]], thereby reducing [[Flight dynamics|roll rates]] for [[Air combat manoeuvring|air maneuvers]]. Some of the drop tank's fuel is used to overcome the added drag and weight of the tank. Drag in this sense varies with the square of the aircraft's speed. The use of drop tanks also reduces the number of external [[hardpoint]]s available for [[weapon]]s, reduces the weapon-carrying capacity and increases the aircraft's [[radar signature]]. Usually the fuel in the drop tanks is consumed first, and only when all the fuel in the drop tanks has been used, the fuel selector is switched to the airplane's internal tanks. Some modern combat aircraft use [[conformal fuel tank]]s (CFTs) instead of or in addition to conventional external fuel tanks. CFTs produce less drag and do not take up external hardpoints but some versions can only be removed on the ground.