French napalm containers SECAN 51, SECAN 63 and SIC-100

[Dreamk]

I am looking for information (good official drawings with dimensions, fuze details) about French napalm containers used in the 50s/60s. More specifically the 100 liter container (SIC-100 ?), the 460liter container (SECAN 63) and the elusive SECAN-51 (I suspect that this was the container used on the Bearcats in Indochina, besides the US M-116 napalm bomb)
SIC-100 ?

are these the same as the ones used on the T-6 and T-28?



Secan 51 ?


Secan 63 (I'd rather think that these are regular fuel drop tanks converted to carry napalm)?

or are these the Secan 63?


Thanks!

 

[FZG76]

A little old text...

 

[Dreamk]

Thanks for this very valuable piece of info (And it has to be an "old" document, as the use of this kind of ordnance has been dropped out by the Armee de l'Air, since quite a long time already).
A pity that this document did not include also a drawing with dimensions.
There is an old thread in this forum on the STAe 450H fuze: http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/69394-Any-idea
For the SECAN 63, I've got from a second hand source (giving no other details) a length of 3.5m and a diameter of 0.49m for a total volume of 450-460 liters and a weight of 420kg - But this source did not include a drawing and moreover mentioned that "various models" exist....making the issue still more obscure

In the meantime I found 2 photos (in the excellent booklet by Alain Crosnier on the T-6 in AFN) of the 100l napalm container developed by the CEV (Centre d'Essais en Vol) for the T-6 Texan: Here they are. The problem - they seem to show 2 different types of container, the first looks as a reduced version of the standard drop fuel tank used on post ww2 F4U, F8F, Skyraiders, the second looks different, of a more circular section, regularly decreasing towards front and rear end, more similar to the shape of the later French napalm container.

 

[Dreamk]

FG76 hi!
"petit probleme" to answer your PM:
FZG76 has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.

 

[Dreamk]

By looking here and there, I got to the patents deposed by SECAN, and these are quite interesting as they speak of "drop fuel tanks than can be also used as incendiary bombs". The drawings in these patents is enlightening, when comparing it with the above photographs:
Patent dated 1952


Dimensions unknown

Patent dated 1956 (napalm modified fuel tank and fuel tank)




From other sources i found the dimensions for the SECAN63 450/ 460 liters Length 3500mm Diameter 490mm Weight, the overall shape fitting quite well the second above patent (the one dated 1956). BTW the fuel tank shown in this same patent fits quite well the SECAN 620 liters (later copied by Dassault)