The KC-10A Extender is a US Air Force advanced tanker and cargo aircraft whose primary mission is aerial refueling. Within the same mission, the KC-10 can refuel US and coalition forces aircraft using either a hose and drogue centerline refueling system or an advanced aerial refueling boom. KC-10s can also be refueled from another KC-10A or a KC-135.
The aircraft is configured to simultaneously carry military cargo and personnel. Since 1981, the KC-10 has been an important part of air fueling in times of war and peace, improving global mobility for US armed forces.
The KC-10A on display, serial number 84-0191, was instrumental in 1986 during Operation El Dorado Canyon, serving as the “mother ship” for USAF F-111s whose target was the command center for a Libyan terrorist network in Tripoli. For the first time since WWII, US aircraft took off from Royal Air Force bases in the United Kingdom for a bombing mission. The KC-10’s large fuel capacity allowed the strike force aircraft to refuel eight times during the mission. The raid proved the US’s capabilities for long-range precision strikes.
This aircraft arrived at the museum on April 15, 2024 from its last duty station at Travis AFB, California.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Engine: Three General Electric CF6-50C2 turbofans, each producing 52,500 lbs of thrust
Crew: Four (pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and boom operator)
Maximum Fuel Load: 356,000 pounds
Maximum Cargo Payload:170,000 pounds
Range: 4,400 miles with cargo; 11,500 miles without cargo (unrefueled)
Videos: https://youtu.be/-qi-5aSKjbU?si=m2dcqmqZoQuNKv30
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