Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker
The KC-135 ranks among the U.S. Air Force’s most iconic aircraft. First delivered to the USAF in June 1957, the KC-135 operated for over sixty years as the USAF’s principal refueling aircraft. Originally developed to extend the range of Strategic Air Command’s bomber fleet, the Stratotanker’s mission extended to supporting a broad range of aircraft. In the 1980s, the USAF upgraded roughly half of the 732 KC-135s in the inventory, allowing them to offload fifty percent more fuel, increase fuel efficiency, and reduce operational costs.
KC-135 Refueling
The KC-135 is equipped with a telescoping boom that transfers fuel. The process is accomplished by an enlisted crewmember who uses the boom’s ruddervators (small wing-like control surfaces) to physically guide and pair the KC-135’s nozzle into a receptacle on the receiving aircraft. The operation requires precise and steady flying by both aircraft.
KC-135R (60-0329)
The NMUSAF’s KC-135 received the Mackay Trophy for a mission its crew flew on 31 May 1967. A downed U.S. Navy pilot needed rescued in Southeast Asia. Two Navy F-8 fighters provided cover for the pilot. For several hours, two Navy A-3 tankers kept the F-8s fueled and flying, but the group was dangerously low on fuel and could not make it back to their aircraft carriers. The KC-135 crew responded and refueled the tankers while they simultaneously refueled the fighters. While returning to base, they fueled two more Navy F-4s.
Technical Notes
Crew: Three: pilot, co-pilot, and boom operator.
Engine: 4 CFM International F108 (CFM-56) turbofan engines each producing 21,634 lbs of thrust
Maximum Fuel Load: 200,000 lbs.
Maximum Cargo Load: 83,000 lbs.
Range: 1,500 miles with 150,000 lbs. of transfer fuel 11,015 with ferry mission
The KC-135R is on display in the Air Park at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
Video - KC-135R Lands at the National Museum of the USAF
Video - 1967 Mackay Trophy Interviews
Video - Interior Views
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