Air Plane Buy Lease |

The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling tanker aircraft. It has been in service with the U.S. Air Force since 1957.The KC-135 is derived from the original Boeing jet transport “proof of concept” demonstrator, the Boeing 367-80 (commonly called the “Dash-80″). As such, it has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the Boeing 707 jetliner.

Developed in the late-1950s this basic airframe is characterized by swept wings and tail, four under wing mounted engine pods, a horizontal stabilizer mounted on the fuselage near the bottom of the vertical stabilizer with positive dihedral on the two horizontal planes and a hi-frequency radio antenna which protrudes forward from the top of the vertical fin or stabilizer. These basic features make it strongly resemble the commercial Boeing 707 and 720 aircraft although, it is actually a different aircraft.

The Strategic Air Command had the KC-135 Stratotankers in service from 1957 through 1991 and with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve from 1975 through 1991, when they were re-assigned to the Air Mobility Command. Reconnaissance and command post variants, including Boeing EC-135 Looking Glass, Post Attack Command & Control Systems were operated by SAC from 1963 through 1991, when they were re-assigned to the Air Combat Command.

Boeing’s 367-80 was the basic design for the commercial Boeing 707 passenger aircraft as well as the KC-135A Stratotanker. In 1954 the USAF’s Strategic Air Command ordered the first 29 of its future fleet of 732. The first aircraft flew in August 1956 and the initial production Stratotanker was delivered to Castle Air Force Base, California, in June 1957. The last KC-135 was delivered to the Air Force in 1965.Of the original KC-135As, more than 410 have been modified with new CFM56 engines produced by CFM-International. The re-engined tanker, designated either the KC-135R or KC-135T, can offload 50% more fuel, is 25% more fuel efficient, costs 25% less to operate and is 96% quieter than the KC-135A.

Under an earlier modification program, 157 Air Force Reserve (AFRES) and Air National Guard (ANG) tankers were re-engined with the Pratt & Whitney TF-33-PW-102 engines from retired 707 airliners. The re-engined tanker, designated the KC-135E, is 14% more fuel efficient than the KC-135A and can offload 20% more fuel.The KC-135Q was the variant modified to carry the JP-7 fuel necessary for the SR-71 Blackbird, segregating the JP-7 from the KC-135’s own fuel supply (the body tanks carrying JP-7, and the wing tanks carrying JP-4). When the KC-135Q model received the CFM-56 engines, it was redesignated the KC-135T model, which was capable of separating the main body tanks from the wing tanks where the KC-135 draws its engine fuel.

The KC-135R/T was a receiver-capable tanker, used for pilot training and operational refueling missions. Currently all KC-135R/T models (Receiver capable) are with the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, KS.n January 2006, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced the cancellation of the KC-767 lease which would have replaced some of the KC-135 fleet. This followed public revelations of corruption in how the contract was awarded, as well as controversy regarding the original leasing rather than outright purchase agreement. This is also designed to be a cost-cutting measure and is part of a larger reorganization and redefinition of the Air Force’s mission that includes the retirement of the E-4B fleet, the cancellation of the Boeing 767-based E-10 MC2A program, as well as the elimination of all but 58 B-52 Stratofortresses. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld states that this move will in no way impair the Air Force’s ability to deliver the mission of the KC-767, which will be accomplished by continuing upgrades to the KC-135 and KC-10 Extender fleet.

In 2006, the U.S. Air Force projected the KC-135’s lifespan to be out as late as 2040. * Crew: 3: pilot, copilot, boom operator. Certain missions or aircraft(non-Pacer CRAG) require the addition of a navigator
* Length: 136 ft 3 in (41.53 m)
* Wingspan: 130 ft 10 in (39.88 m)
* Height: 41 ft 8 in (12.70 m)
* Wing area: 2,433 ft² (226 m²)
* Empty weight: 98,466 lb (44,663 kg)
* Loaded weight: 297,000 lb (135,000 kg)
* Max takeoff weight: 322,500 lb (146,000 kg)
* Powerplant: 4× (R/T) CFM International CFM-56 (F108-CF-100) turbofan engines, 21,634 lbf (96 kN) each}
* Powerplant: 4× (E) Pratt & Whitney TF-33-PW-102 turbofan engines , 18,000 lbf (80 kN) each

Duration : 0:0:7

Technorati Tags: 747, 787, a380, Air, Airbus, Aircraft, airshow, Aviation, Boeing, F-18, F-22, Force, KC-135, MILITARY, Sky, Stratotanker, tanker, US, war