Design of a customized fuselage full airworthiness flexible fuel tank

Flexible fuel tanks as a means for allowing more consumable fuel are not a new concept in both the Israeli and foreign air forces: "Bladder" tanks have been in use for many years. Most flexible fuel tanks in existence are similar to one another, having the same advantages and disadvantages. A project completed by the Israeli Air Force involved the design and development of a customized flexible fuel tank. The tank is unique because it was designed in a shape specific to the end user's operational needs: The main requirements from the tank were that it be made collapsible, contain a maximum ratio of usable fuel weight to tank weight, allow for maximum usable in-flight storage volume and be airworthy for all air mobility aircraft types. The development of the tank involved selecting the appropriate materials and optimal shape and size, developing a support system to hold it, proving the tank in various extreme conditions and deciding on the tank's operation and maintenance procedures, all while satisfying the tank's operational requirements.