Hangar Talk - Which aircraft type is least likely to catch fire?
Which aircraft type is least likely to catch fire?
Legend has it that all-metal types, and “plastic” types with metal tanks (e.g. Diamond) are the best.
Are there any “plastic” types with wet tanks, so if the composite breaks the fuel spills out?
Then there are the homebuilt kits / ultralights with unprotected clear plastic fuel pipework.
Cirrus have wet tanks, which is why they can catch fire when the landing goes awry…..it’s the only thing I dislike about them….
What is a wet and what a dry tank ?
Heavy fuel is significantly less likely to catch fire than avgas.
Light aircraft burning Jet-A – fuel that’s more difficult to ignite in an aircraft with a low touchdown speed (in other words, in a controlled crash, less likely to rupture the tanks in the first place).
For extra fun, an SR-71 that leaks both fuel and triethylborane.