28 feet long
It can also be adapted with a drogue to refuel aircraft using the hose and drogue method. The boom is 28 feet long when retracted and 48 feet long when extended. It can transfer 600 gallons of fuel per minute.
How high can a KC-135 fly?
41,000 feet
Technical Specifications
| First flight | Aug. 31, 1956 |
|---|---|
| Cruising speed | 552 mph |
| Range | 5,000 miles |
| Ceiling | 41,000 feet |
| Power | Four 13,750-pound-thrust P&W J57 turbojet engines |
What is the civilian equivalent of a KC-135?
The KC-135 is similar in appearance to the 707, but has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. The KC-135 predates the 707, and is structurally quite different from the civilian airliner. Boeing gave the future KC-135 tanker the initial designation Model 717.
What is the range of a KC-135?
1,503 mi
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker/Range
Can a tanker refuel a tanker?
Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one military aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) during flight.
How does a KC-135 refuel?
KC-135 aerial refuelling method “The KC-135 Stratotanker is the US Air Force’s air-to-air refuelling tanker aircraft.” A shuttlecock drogue can be trailed behind the boom and used to refuel aircraft equipped with refuelling probes. Aircraft fitted with the boom drogue cannot refuel boom and receptacle aircraft.
Does the KC-135 have a flight engineer?
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — After a career that has spanned almost four decades, the last Air Force flight engineer for the KC-135 Stratotanker is set to retire at Edwards.
Does the Air Force still use KC-135?
The US Air Force still has about 550 KC-135 Stratotankers in service (active duty, 253; Air National Guard, 222; Air Force Reserve, 70) and has made substantial investment in a series of upgrade programs, including reskinning of the lower wing surfaces, the installation of new CFM56 engines and new avionics systems.
