aling ▁run - flat ▁t ires . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁George ▁J . ▁Mur d ock ▁applied ▁for ▁the ▁pat ent ▁" W ar ▁Aer op lane ▁F uel ▁T anks " ▁on ▁February ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁but ▁was ▁tempor arily ▁blocked ▁by ▁an ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁Trade ▁Commission , ▁on ▁February ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁to ▁keep ▁any ▁discussion ▁or ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁in vention ▁secret . ▁The ▁order ▁was ▁res c ind ed ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Pat ent ▁Office ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁and ▁Mur d ock ▁was ▁eventually ▁granted ▁United ▁States ▁Pat ent ▁ 1 , 3 8 6 , 7 9 1 ▁" Self - P unct ure ▁Se aling ▁Cover ing ▁for ▁F uel - Cont ain ers " ▁on ▁August ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 2 1 . ▁Military ▁aircraft ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁Gl enn ▁L . ▁Martin ▁Company ▁used ▁this ▁self - se aling ▁fuel ▁tank . ▁ ▁Howard ▁Hugh es ▁used ▁ne op rene ▁to ▁self - se al ▁his ▁fuel ▁t anks ▁on ▁his ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁flight . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁In ▁the ▁newer ▁gener ations ▁of ▁pre - war ▁and ▁early - war ▁aircraft , ▁self - se aling ▁t anks ▁were ▁t anks ▁used ▁to ▁minim ize ▁the ▁damage ▁from ▁le aking ▁or ▁burning ▁fuel . ▁A ▁conventional ▁fuel ▁tank , ▁when ▁hit ▁by