I am assembling the Tamjets F-16. I need advice on how to secure Fuel and smoke tanks in fuselage knowing that space is very tight and i do not wish to glue them permanently to make servicing easily accessible especially that inlet is also removable.
Manual page 52.

Thanks in advance for looking and suggesting.

it seems that i am unable to attach the file....or photo

Velcro…pad and straps

Bit like this…

You have a couple of options. As already listed you can glue Velcro to each part and use a Velcro or similar strap. If the tanks are Kevlar or fiberglass you can glue tabs onto the tanks that correspond to brackets on the fuse and use a small bolt. I've set up tanks where I glued a tab at the back that engaged a slot in a former or other structure then bonded a block of wood on the front that had a little aluminum angle bracket that aligned with a block glued to the fuse. For plastic tanks I like to add a couple small dabs of E6000 to the bottom of the tank so it doesn't slide, and use a couple long tie wraps.

There's always a way to mount them. NEVER glue them in!

IMO velcro isn't a good option because fuel soaking can make it loose. Also cold weather often makes the velcro glue super weak.

The best way is to design, glue and cut some tabs or half formers and bolt the tank to the fuselage. Our jets see pretty extreme Gs and a moving tank can compromise the CG and as a result, the controllability of the model.

You will need to sand the tank and clean with isopropyl alcohol before gluing anything. Hysol is great for that operation. Any surface sanded needs to be checked for leaks.

Hello Gents, one option that hasn't been mentioned yet is silicone adhesive. I have used your common clear general purpose gutter/downpipe/wet area silicone adhesive on multiple jets with complete success and 100% reliability. Points to note:

-ensure all surfaces are clean prior to gluing (use a degreaser that is no too harsh as some paint finished can be affected)
-only apply a few small "dabs" of adhesive as it is heavy and if left to cure for a few days is very strong (so only small amount needed)
-tanks can easily be removed but cutting the adhesive with either a knife or thin wire, etc.
-almost all traces of silicone can be removed if needed with a knife and rubbing action


If you are using quality tanks and hardware, the tanks will only need to be removed for maintenance - which will not be too often. Some tanks, depending on their location, can be serviced left in place, etc

This method is not suited for tanks that require frequent removal to service other aircraft items, etc

BRG, Frank

With the Velcro method you are Hysoling the strap down, the pads are only to stop it sliding through, it will last a models life time, but I do CA the sticky Velcro down…

Thank you very much for all the input which are very valuable

Shoe Goop works great, removable but strong. Still a form of glue though.

Removable plywood frames, attached to existing hard points, to wedge them in position.

Sometimes these are multiple piece, the small parts going in one by one then assembled inside the fuselage.