...Why do Cyclops & Strider squadrons in mission 7 ditch their fuel tanks?

[Virtuosah]

Was there any tactical advantage to it?
I mean I guess it lowers their overall weight and thus can increase acceleration and thrust

[Useless Bunny]

Discarding fuel tanks to engage or run away is standard protocol.

[Dr. Killbytedeth87]

External fuel tanks add more weight and create more drag on the aircraft, limiting speed, acceleration and manuevrability. If they were only really concerned with getting away, then it makese sense for them to drop the tanks.

[Virtuosah]

Originally posted by Useless Bunny:

Discarding fuel tanks to engage or run away is standard protocol.

well, you learn something new everyday

Originally posted by Dr. Killbytedeth87:

External fuel tanks add more weight and create more drag on the aircraft, limiting speed, acceleration and manuevrability. If they were only really concerned with getting away, then it makese sense for them to drop the tanks.

That being said, it didn't really matter, they failed to outrun the drones :S

[Hobo Misanthropus]

They're literally called "Drop Tanks"

Originally posted by Virtuoso:

Originally posted by Useless Bunny:

Discarding fuel tanks to engage or run away is standard protocol.

well, you learn something new everyday

Originally posted by Dr. Killbytedeth87:

External fuel tanks add more weight and create more drag on the aircraft, limiting speed, acceleration and manuevrability. If they were only really concerned with getting away, then it makese sense for them to drop the tanks.

That being said, it didn't really matter, they failed to outrun the drones :S

Separating Game mechanics from lore representation, discarding even empty drop tanks reduces the drag on the plane, thus increasing maneuverability(Evasion)

[Virtuosah]

Originally posted by Hobo Misanthropus:

They're literally called "Drop Tanks"

I believe they're called "Fuel Tanks" before aforementioned "being dropped".

In my perspective, they could be used as fuel bombs also

[Hobo Misanthropus]

Originally posted by Virtuoso:

Originally posted by Hobo Misanthropus:

They're literally called "Drop Tanks"

I believe they're called "Fuel Tanks" before aforementioned "being dropped".

In my perspective, they could be used as fuel bombs also

Incorrect, the fuel tanks are in the wing. Drop tanks are external fuel tanks designed to be dropped, separate from external, non-drop fuel tanks. Drop tanks can be affixed to a fighter hardpoint, where as an external fuel tank is typically carried under the fuselage for weight balancing purposes.

The important thing to remember is the only reason "Drop Tanks" exist, is to be ditched, you would never load them on a plane without express purposes of losing them at some point (Tactic originally used for long-range fighter escorts in WW2). I have to reiterate, you would not affix these tanks to an aircraft hardpoint in a case where you did not anticipate them being discarded.

Drop Tanks are kind of rare now because of Mid-Air refueling, and the nations that can deploy mid-air refueling craft typically have the run of the sky now. However, they are still used (Though never discarded for liability reasons) in the USAF during VIP escort, most notably of Air Force One. Though if for some reason the escorts had to interdict something, they would disengage the tanks.

[⚡Snake⚡Plissken⚡]

Originally posted by Useless Bunny:

Discarding fuel tanks to engage or run away is standard protocol.

I do it all the time.