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- pizzaandplanes
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Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
I was just wondering that if a tanker can refuel another military aircraft in mid-air, can it refuel itself or be refueled in mid-air. Also, in the event of fuel dumping for crash landing, how would the tanker unload the extra fuel into the sky?
A real man lands where he wants to
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
| Quoting Pizzaandplanes (Thread starter): I was just wondering that if a tanker can refuel another military aircraft in mid-air, can it refuel itself or be refueled in mid-air. Also, in the event of fuel dumping for crash landing, how would the tanker unload the extra fuel into the sky? |
Pizzaandplanes:
All KC-10s and select KC-135s can also be refueled mid air. This is one of the KC-10s greatest tricks. In the KC-10, we dump the same way the commercial DC-10 does except that we have a few more pumps and a lot more gas to dump. I'm not sure about the KC-135s but I am sure it is the same for the 707 airframes.
Pat
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
Photos of 747 tanker refueling another 747 tanker test.
http://www.ausairpower.net/aar-lift.html
In a emergency situation a tanker would dump fuel just like any other aircraft.
http://www.ausairpower.net/aar-lift.html
In a emergency situation a tanker would dump fuel just like any other aircraft.
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
One KC-135E and eight KC-135Rs are capable of being refueled in flight. Three other KC-135Rs have the systems but they have been disabled so they cannot be used. I think all of the 135 series aircraft that are used for reconnissance and such can be refueled in flight.
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- pizzaandplanes
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RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
Seems interesting...Can even the tanks to refuel other aircraft be refueled? Obviously that would not be economical but is it still possible?
A real man lands where he wants to
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
In the KC-10, any tank can receive fuel from the tanker or supply fuel to any engine or to any refueling device (boom or drogue).
Pat
Pat
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- scouseflyer
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RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
As part of Operation Black Buck in the Falklands War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck) a single Vulcan Bomber flew a raid from Ascension Island to the Falklands and back supported by 11 Victor tankers.
These tankers refuled both the Vulcan and each other in what was at the time the longest ever bombing run attemped (now beaten by the B2 raids).
These tankers refuled both the Vulcan and each other in what was at the time the longest ever bombing run attemped (now beaten by the B2 raids).
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
| Quoting Scouseflyer (Reply 6): These tankers refuled both the Vulcan and each other in what was at the time the longest ever bombing run attemped (now beaten by the B2 raids). |
In the early 50's 2 B-52B's performed a non stop round the world flight with tanker support, it was not a bombing mission but back then it was impressive.Now it is old hat for B-52H's B-2's and B-1's to bomb targets from their stateside bases with tanker support. NKAWTGN.
I would help you but it is not in the contract
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
My experience was in the A-frame KC-135s, don't know that there are any differences in the R-model plumbing. We could burn all the gas on board and off-load all of it (except a thousand pounds or so in each main wing tank). If I remember, we could use the boom for an emergency fuel dump, given we had that big nozzle out there, made for off-loading fuel 
At the time, we had the only receiver-equipped A-models (we informally called them either KC-135A/RT or RT-135) at Grissom AFB. Here are a couple of shots, circa 1987, of some receiver refueling in a KC-135.
At the time, we had the only receiver-equipped A-models (we informally called them either KC-135A/RT or RT-135) at Grissom AFB. Here are a couple of shots, circa 1987, of some receiver refueling in a KC-135.
KC-135 - Passing gas and taking names!
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- bennett123
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RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
RAF VC10,s can normally be re fueled mid air, however XR810 recently had it,s probe broken in a mishap.
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
| Quoting Scouseflyer (Reply 6): As part of Operation Black Buck in the Falklands War |
Was just thinking about that. An amazing operation
Living the jetset life! No better way to be
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
Moose, those are some great pics!! Best answer to a question is a photo.
Keep them coming if you have more!
DeltaGuy
Keep them coming if you have more!
DeltaGuy
"The cockpit, what is it?" "It's the little room in the front of the plane where the pilot sits, but that's not importan
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
Photo © Mike Parks
Photo © Gary Chambers
Photo © Rob Tabor
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
| Quoting Scouseflyer (Reply 6): As part of Operation Black Buck in the Falklands War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck) a single Vulcan Bomber flew a raid from Ascension Island to the Falklands and back supported by 11 Victor tankers. |
Granted, the distance from Ascension to Port Stanley is over three thousand miles, but that still seems like quite a lot of tanker support for what was after all a strategic bomber.
What was the Vulcan's planned mission radius in its nuclear deterrent role?
RE: Can A Tanker Be Refuled In Mid-air?
Vulcans did do in flight refuelling the in early days, with a mind to overseas deployments, it was problematic and the system was decomissioned.
Until 1982, the effort to re-fit and re-train was one of the main planks of the truly brilliant book, Vulcan 607.
In the deterent role, the aircraft had the range to attack targets in USSR/Eastern Europe, including in the later low level missions, then return to dispered airfields, including one in Norway.
Practically, there would be nothing to return to, the crews knew this so it was never a big issue, indeed one ex Vulcan pilot recalled the advice he was given was to 'carry on East and settle down with a woman in the Steppes'.
Post deterrent, the Vulcan force was assigned to NATO in the sub strategic role.
The Falklands raids required back up tankers, as well as tankers refuelling tankers, then refuelling the Vulcan, even so, it was still a mission with little room for error, and just how accurate were the fuel gagues?
The thing about these raids was the almost total lack of any diversion fields for much of the mission.
A busted probe on a return leg required that Vulcan to divert to Brazil, and it only just made it.
Until 1982, the effort to re-fit and re-train was one of the main planks of the truly brilliant book, Vulcan 607.
In the deterent role, the aircraft had the range to attack targets in USSR/Eastern Europe, including in the later low level missions, then return to dispered airfields, including one in Norway.
Practically, there would be nothing to return to, the crews knew this so it was never a big issue, indeed one ex Vulcan pilot recalled the advice he was given was to 'carry on East and settle down with a woman in the Steppes'.
Post deterrent, the Vulcan force was assigned to NATO in the sub strategic role.
The Falklands raids required back up tankers, as well as tankers refuelling tankers, then refuelling the Vulcan, even so, it was still a mission with little room for error, and just how accurate were the fuel gagues?
The thing about these raids was the almost total lack of any diversion fields for much of the mission.
A busted probe on a return leg required that Vulcan to divert to Brazil, and it only just made it.
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