Re: KC-46 now cleared to operationally refuel some aircraft

How many European air forces operate F-18s and C-17s? :lol: :lol: :lol: And how often these air forces do on air refueling? I suspect you won't even get a light buzz from the beers that would be warranted from these operational needs for K-46s refueling them. The UK has the C-17, E-3D, RC-135W, and...

Re: KC-46 now cleared to operationally refuel some aircraft

Reading the whole article, my understanding is that before July 9th the KC-46 had been certified for testing or exercises, but not operational use. But now it is certified for day-to-day refueling operation and can do some planes such as F-18 that use a drogue, and three large planes that use a boo...

Re: KC-135 boom info required please

The inner tube of the KC-135 Boom is 4.1" in diameter. It gets as wide as 6" at the ball socket just before the nozzle.

Re: Kabul airport damage

If it did happen, NAVAIDS damaged at HKIA, it would have been on orders from the White House. Then again, HKIA was not known for maintaining their NAVAIDS, runways, taxiways, or ramps. If US Forces did do it, they would have completely destroyed the equipment, not merely damage it so it could be rep...

Re: IAF buys 56 C-295 transport aircraft

Max Q wrote:

Is the C27J still in production ?

Re: 2 C-130s flying very low over the treetops in rural NH

Great circle to the EU and ME would take east coast military flyers over Portsmouth (Pease), NE along the Maine coast, over Gander NL and out over the big pond. These C-130s were not doing that, they were on some type of training mission. Did you notice what types of C-130s these were? Trash haulers...

Re: Best Ground Attack Aircraft before 1977

My choice would be the A-1E/H Sky Raider and the A-7D SLUF (the "E" was good too, but it came along later). The F-100D/F was also very good at CAS. The A-4 is an honorable mention. The AH-1 never had enough ammo, but the "in country converted" UH-1 gunships (up to four M-2 .50 ca...

Re: Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider Production And Delivery Thread

The B-21 will not be bombing from FL-400. It will be down to around FL-200, and maybe as low as 15,000', just as the B-2s were during their 'shock and aw' missions over Bagdad. Eventually it will be a low level bomber, just like the B-1 and B-52 are and the FB-111 was.

Re: Boeing KC-46 News, Production and Delivery Thread - 2021

Total cost overruns are now in excess of $5 billion. Unfortunately, we will never know how Airbus would have delivered on the 330. Perhaps better. But I have always maintained that it was too big. Imho, the USAF needed a relatively larger number of smaller airframes due to the tanking requirements ...

Re: Stealth is very important

Kitplane 01 wrote: "4- Stealth is very important. Any stealthy airplane can beat in beyond-visual-range combat any non-stealthy airplanes. Between an F-35 and any of F-15, Su-35, Eurofighter, etc. the F-35 wins." No, any good F-15, F-16, Eurofighter, Rafale, or FA-18E/F pilot would fire on...

Re: Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider Production And Delivery Thread

I live about 2 miles from the Fort Worth LM plant where the F-35 is made. I can tell you the F-135 engine is the loudest engine in the US Military inventory right now. With AB or without AB, it is very loud. It doesn't matter if it is an F-35A, F-35B. or F-35C, they are all very loud. If they are pu...

Re: DC-3 crashed in Columbia today

blacksoviet wrote:

Will Boeing or the NTSB send one of their investigators?

Re: Philippines military plane crashes with at least 85 on board

Last I heard there were 50 survivors and 31 fatalities.

Re: Another Boeing-Airbus tanker war is coming soon, KC-Y

Unless Airbus would propose the A-330F in an MRTT form I don't think the USAF would be interested. The A-330MRTT in its current form is a pax airplane that doubles as a tanker. The USAF would want a main deck cargo door, a real freighter main deck cargo floor, and almost no windows.

Re: 737 Cargo in water at HNL

Seems pretty close to the coast, any idea of the water depth around there? I'm so happy they're alright. I'm an oceanographer - I think it's around 25 - 35 m in that area. So glad the pilots were rescued! In 2002 the IJN 2 man submarine that was sunk just 3-4 miles from Pearl Harbor by the USS Ward...

Re: FAA to award $8 billion to airports to support recovery efforts

Does anyone have the entire list?

Re: HvKK to Replace KC-135R Statotankers with A330 MRTTs

Will Turkey be returning the KC-135s to the US, like the RSAF did?

Re: Australia and India military sales approved

Good news for the RAAF and the IAF.

Re: C-46 Pegasus?

If there is going to be a sister aircraft to the KC-46A, they will most likely be new build: RC-46s to replace the RC-135s. EC-46s to replace the USN E-6s. E-46s to replace the E-3AWACSs. There may even be 18-26 TC-46 dedicated trainers for all variants of the KC-46. A TC-46 can have the duel role o...

Re: UK Defence Command Paper: RAF to Axe C-130 Fleet by 2023

The British are doing what they do best, slashing their own military forces. Along with retiring the C-130J/J-30s, they also cut the E-7A Wedgetail from 5 aircraft to just 3, the E-3Ds will be all gone by the end of this year. Just 60 years ago the UK had a very powerful military. Then they slashed ...

Re: A natural replacement for the RAF's BAe-146 'Statesman' aircraft?

B-737BBJ. There are some used models available for sale. Or the RAF could order a new build from Boeing. Since the RAF is ordering the P-8 MRA1, they could order an extra one as a B-737BBJ-2. The RAF has 5 E-7 AEW1 on order. Two will be rebuilt used aircraft, the remaining 3 will be new builds from ...

Re: NASA Super Guppy Replacement?

If NASA wanted a B-747-LCF, the FAA would not stand in the way. A much cheaper alternative would be a retired USAF C-5A/B from the Boneyard. NASA could have as many as they want, but I don't think they would need more than 3 or 4. These C-5A/Bs could be brought up to the C-5AMP and C-5M configuratio...

Re: French Rafale Cuts Power Lines

I recall that there was a USAF jet that hit a cable car cable and killed a bunch of the cable car's passengers but that was quite a while ago. Per the article, the French already hit power lines in 2012 and 2014 with a Mirage 2000 and a Rafale, respectively. Both managed to land safely. It appears ...

Re: Canada - Strategic Tanker Transport Capability project

There is always the KC-46A.

Re: Why are aerial refueling aircraft build new?

Mortyman wrote:

The Airbus 330 Mrtt is not only a tanker but also a cargo and troop transport.

Re: Why no KC-24, KC-11 or A300 MRTT

For the A300, (a) it's a short haul aircraft, I doubt that it would've offered much improvement over the KC-135, let alone the KC-10 or L1011. (b) Airbus at the time was a strictly civilian manufacturer. EADS (now Airbus Group) didn't form until the year 2000. Of course the individual companies, e....

Re: KC-10A retirement

The USAF has never has any kind of organization when it comes to retirements. Usually retirements come along when a jet hits a critical maintenance requirement like a C/D check. Congress has slowed down the KC-10 retirements due to the KC-46 issues still plaguing the fleet. Originally 16 were suppo...

Re: USAF F-15EX News and Discussion Thread