Carrier fueling moves from cans to central distribution

Early carriers refueled aircraft from tins and drums, a labor-intensive practice that left volatile containers near aircraft, maintenance work, and ordnance. The Joint Technical Subcommittee on Aeronautical Requirements of Ships continued studying the problem even when the Royal Navy did not control the Fleet Air Arm. HMS Furious tested a mobile 100-gallon Bywater tank with pumped hoses and a drain-back safeguard, but the tank itself could roll around. The German system on SMS Stuttgart used centralized distribution and offered better weight and capacity. British engineers combined that arrangement with drain-back so unused fuel returned to safer storage. Lower manpower demand and faster fueling helped, while fire prevention remained the main reason for the change.