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Is aerial refuelling aircraft preferable?

Recently US military refuelling plane KC-135 crashed in Kyrgyzstan.

So why to have more losses by trying on more aircraft’s like KC-10, A30, A400M which are most expensive aircraft’s.

Do you believe that these aerial refueling aircraft’s are that much important?

http://www.airforce-technology.com/features/featurethe-worlds-best-aerial-refuelling-aircraft/

Because the military need the capability.

EGTK Oxford

The big issue is that the main payload is weapons, so there is not much left for fuel.
A F16 has a combat radius of less than 300NM. If using afterburner or high speed flight it will be less.
These planes are low on fuel shortly after take off.
My former flight instructor was pilot for the German Luftwaffe. They transferred a few planes from Canada and had permanent refuelling going on. After all planes got refuelled, the first was in need of fuel again.

United Kingdom

Several years ago I was flying the narrow corridor of uncontrolled airspace that follows the highway up to Albuquerke NM between the White Sands Missile range and the Sandia nuclear test site (roughly where Mr Branson’s spaceport is now) when ATC said “If you look out on your right side you will shortly see a helicopter refuelling a C-130 at your level, passing abeam one mile, opposite direction”. This got my attention and surely enough, a large single rotor eggbeater emerged with a C-130 dutifully plodding along behind at what seemed to be 150 kt or something. I thought it best not to take photos since they could see the whites of my eyes.

I thought “If they can do that, maybe you could refuel a Cessna” but didn’t take the idea any further. Not sure getting the drougue caught in the prop would help, but they were doing this with 4 props!

EGBW / KPRC, United Kingdom

My former flight instructor was pilot for the German Luftwaffe. They transferred a few planes from Canada and had permanent refuelling going on. After all planes got refuelled, the first was in need of fuel again.

That sounds weird. Ferry range is far greater than combat range. Especially so with drop tanks. Unless they had 25 planes feeding off the same tanker i don’t really see how that could happen.

That’s what he said. He retired with 36!! after his second ejection with some spine damage.

Last Edited by mdoerr at 14 Nov 20:26
United Kingdom

Even with drop tanks the range of most fighters is very short and to get across the Atlantic they will require several refuels.

Air to air refuelling is much much more efficient than approach/landing/taxi/refuel/taxi/take off/climb into the cruise again. Not only in pure time but also the decent into lower and more dense air, where resistance is higher and the engine efficiency is lower all has to be taken into account.

Apart from that there are obviously few convenient stops between here and the States and when being deployed in more hostile environments there are often few viable options.

Do you believe that these aerial refueling aircraft’s are that much important?

Try reading “Vulcan 607” then you will understand how important they were!

The KC135s were the forerunner of the B707 and some are very old now, a design that dates back to the 1950s

I recall refuelling Lightening Mk 3s which would only take on board between 1500-2500 pounds of fuel that would keep them airborne for 20-30 minutes, Refuelling 4 aircraft would take about 5 minutes each so if you only have one hose the process becomes continuous if the fighters are to have any diversion capability following a probe break or a hose malfunction. The F4 was a little better and could suck the Victor dry!

Last Edited by Tumbleweed at 15 Nov 09:29

The Phantom can refuel all tanks, including the external tanks. Not all types can do that.

United Kingdom

I thought “If they can do that, maybe you could refuel a Cessna” but didn’t take the idea any further.

Obligatory link: http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2008/March/1/Endurance-Test-Circa-1958

[the word “quote” removed from the quote – not sure where that comes from – Peter]

Last Edited by Peter at 15 Nov 11:28
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