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Tanker range performance?
Hey guys, I have a question to ask you. Do tankers have unlimited range during air refueling missions or do they lose range during air refueling missions due to the offload of fuel?
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- LyleLanley
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Re: Tanker range performance?
UA857 wrote:Hey guys, I have a question to ask you. Do tankers have unlimited range during air refueling missions or do they lose range during air refueling missions due to the offload of fuel?
Yep! At least on the KC-10, we literally make gas as we offload it, via a secret process, so our only limiter is the amount of per diem (weight) we can carry. KC-135s are a different matter and they're only mostly unlimited, and they're generally pegged at $3.50 a day anyway. It's only when tankers are flying from point A to point B that their tanks actually go down from full.
Re: Tanker range performance?
LyleLanley wrote:UA857 wrote:Hey guys, I have a question to ask you. Do tankers have unlimited range during air refueling missions or do they lose range during air refueling missions due to the offload of fuel?
Yep! At least on the KC-10, we literally make gas as we offload it, via a secret process, so our only limiter is the amount of per diem (weight) we can carry. KC-135s are a different matter and they're only mostly unlimited, and they're generally pegged at $3.50 a day anyway. It's only when tankers are flying from point A to point B that their tanks actually go down from full.
So your saying that KC-10s lose range during refueling missions but KC-135 have unlimited range during refueling missions?
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- GalaxyFlyer
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Re: Tanker range performance?
The fuel offloaded to the receiver can NOT be used by the tanker, so the tanker has to lose range. Now, it does get lighter so it’s specific range gets better, but it has less to burn. Remember, there’s one born every minute.
How can you possibly think tankers have unlimited range?
How can you possibly think tankers have unlimited range?
Re: Tanker range performance?
It took me awhile to figure it out, but I "think" what the OP was asking was if tankers offloaded their own fuel tanks or whether it was just done by extra tanks. By "unlimited range" I think he meant the normal full range of their fuel tanks. But I could be wrong and my head hurts thinking about it...
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- GalaxyFlyer
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Re: Tanker range performance?
They can burn it all and, on the KC-135, pass it all. At one time, the SIOP had planned for the possibility the tankers would pass fuel until near flame out and crew escape via chutes.
Re: Tanker range performance?
I think it was appropriate that that was Post #666 for the OP.
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- LyleLanley
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Re: Tanker range performance?
Very apropos. But also very entertaining
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- acecrackshot
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Re: Tanker range performance?
LyleLanley wrote:UA857 wrote:Hey guys, I have a question to ask you. Do tankers have unlimited range during air refueling missions or do they lose range during air refueling missions due to the offload of fuel?
Yep! At least on the KC-10, we literally make gas as we offload it, via a secret process, so our only limiter is the amount of per diem (weight) we can carry. KC-135s are a different matter and they're only mostly unlimited, and they're generally pegged at $3.50 a day anyway. It's only when tankers are flying from point A to point B that their tanks actually go down from full.
So the KC-10s HAVE been holding out on us the whole time.
Figures.
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- LyleLanley
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Re: Tanker range performance?
acecrackshot wrote:So the KC-10s HAVE been holding out on us the whole time.
Figures.
The statute of limitations ran out as soon as the first jet went to the boneyard.
#gucci4life
Re: Tanker range performance?
GalaxyFlyer wrote:They can burn it all and, on the KC-135, pass it all. At one time, the SIOP had planned for the possibility the tankers would pass fuel until near flame out and crew escape via chutes.
Well, that's what they expected us to do...
Re: Tanker range performance?
Do KC-10s and KC-46 lose range during refueling missions if there is cargo onboard?
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- GalaxyFlyer
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Re: Tanker range performance?
UA857 wrote:Do KC-10s and KC-46 lose range during refueling missions if there is cargo onboard?
Well yeah, fuel planned for off-load becomes part of the payload, so you have to made trades between off-load fuel and cargo/pax weight. Then, the question is how many chicks are being dragged and their requirements. Usually, fighter deployments would get an ADVON C-17 or two to haul the enroute support team and equipment spares, so less of an issue than you think.
I went down to Williamtown, NSW once to bring back an F-16 unit deployed for training. Because the Kosovo conflict fired up while they were deployed, getting a tanker was hard and, in the end, only one was found. It deployed the day before we got there. Tanker and 7 chicks did YLWM-YDDN, YDDN-PGUA, PGUA-PAWK, PAWK-PHIK. We left YWLM, tech’d at Pago, arrived at PHIK to find ourselves off for two days as the “drag” crew said enough already. Funny, at Pago we were in the pattern with a KSCH LC-130 coming from Christchurch. They were based only 100 miles from us.
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