Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
several airmen who once flew WC-135 tail number 582 bid the old plane — nicknamed ‘Lucifer’s Chariot’ — good riddance and hoped it never left the ground again.
“I hope they chop you up into small bits that aren’t used for anything,” said Will Markham, a pilot who flew 582 from 2015 to 2019, a period which he described as “four terrible and terrifying years that aged me well beyond where I should be.”
cpd wrote:I wonder if these planes could be replaced by something a lot newer, like a 767??
TheSonntag wrote:I just wonder why some still retained the TF-33 engines while most others did not.
Are there any airworthy TF-33 KC-135s remaining, btw? Or are they all retired in the boneyard?
ssteve wrote:Chile operates KC-135E from US, recently "bought" 3x AWACS E3-D from UK. Does make you wonder if the idea is to have a lot of hangar queens.
E-3D
Production aircraft for the RAF to E-3C standard with CFM56 engines and British modifications designated Sentry AEW.1, 7 built.[50]
bikerthai wrote:ssteve wrote:Chile operates KC-135E from US, recently "bought" 3x AWACS E3-D from UK. Does make you wonder if the idea is to have a lot of hangar queens.
From wikiE-3D
Production aircraft for the RAF to E-3C standard with CFM56 engines and British modifications designated Sentry AEW.1, 7 built.[50]
