Belly tank size for lake racer?

[Pro Wrench]

I want to build a lake racer from an airplane belly tank but I have no idea what scale airplane I should get a tank from to build a 1/25 scale car. Most of the airplane kits I see look to be 1/48 scale but I have very little knowledge on airplane sizes to know if that is the proper scale for the car I want to build. Anyone have an idea on this? Do any of you also build planes that may have the correct size belly tank you would consider parting with so I don't have to buy a whole kit just to get the tank?

[Snake45]

Most bellytankers were built with the big P-38 tanks. No one makes a 1/24 P-38, and the common 75-gallon P-51 tank is much too small.

I believe someone does the proper tank in 1/24-5 in resin, though.

[southpier]

http://www.resinrealm.net/Star/BellyTanker/BellyTanker.html

[Ace-Garageguy]

The big P-38 tank that is indeed the most common tank used is about 36" in diameter at its widest point, and about 13 feet long.

In 1/25 scale, that's about 1.44 inches wide at the fattest point, and about 6.5 inches long.

You'd need a 1/25 scale P-38 tank. Nobody makes a 1/25 or 1/24 scale P-38, so use the dimensions above or the resin source southpier provided.

Here's one Bernard Kron built on this very forum. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/?showtopic=62305

Edited February 17, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Crazy Ed]

Given Bills numbers something along this line ought to get ya close:

http://www.scaleflying.com/Drop-Tanks-_p_1887.html

The next sixe up is 7" long.

[southpier]

if you go the route of the drop-tank (good link!), know that the Star kit has the bottom section flattened-off. this was done for real, and allows the whole tank to sit closer to the salt.