Author Topic: A2A Refueling (Read 884 times)

cav58d · « **on:** June 15, 2006, 05:35:38 PM »

http://www.flightlevel350.com/Aircraft_Boeing_KC-135_Stratotanker-Airline_USA_-_Air_Force_Aviation_Video-6303.html

Very cool and education video I thought a lot of you would be interested in...a big out to the airman commenting throughout the video, he does a spectacular job.......

now its my understanding that the tanker fly's on auto pilot and the recieving (sp) aircraft is flown manually....Have there ever been any tests done by the Air Force to have the tanker emit a beacon or radio signal that the recieving aircraft could track on auto pilot like the signal an auto pilot on auto land would track a localizer?

benytree · « **Reply #1 on:** June 15, 2006, 06:03:04 PM »

cool:aok

LePaul · « **Reply #2 on:** June 15, 2006, 06:56:25 PM »

Cool video

I did 7 years up here at the Maine ANG, we have KC-135s. If you non-military types every have a chance to go on a refuleing sortie, dive on it. Video doesnt give you the same "whoa" effect as actually being there.

I went on 20 or so refueling sorties. My favorites were the FB-111s out of the former Pease AFB in NH. The F-16s & F-15s are a bit tricker for the boom operators since their fuel door is well behind the cockpit. One of the neatest birds (i think) to refuel is the A-10s. You just HAVE to go very very slow for those things. And seeing that big ole canon bouncing around 14 feet behind you is impressive.

Still think the sexiest plane I ever got to watch be refueled was an F-4

Its an awesome view up there from the boom pod. I remember us refueling an F-16 one day, we were at 29k. He backed off, rolled inverted then swooped doooooowwwwn....you just felt your stomach go whoooaaa.

The KC-135s is a pretty old bird, like the B-52. I think the "newest" one we had at Bangor was a 1957 model.

Debonair · « **Reply #3 on:** June 15, 2006, 08:52:25 PM »

localizer is a pretty big piece of equipment...

an SR-71 pilot's book i read talked about refueling in IMC, but i forget exactly how they did it:furious

Hawklore · « **Reply #4 on:** June 15, 2006, 09:18:59 PM »

Too cool!

cav58d · « **Reply #5 on:** June 15, 2006, 11:20:43 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Debonair
localizer is a pretty big piece of equipment...
[IMG]

So is a KC-135 =)

Debonair · « **Reply #6 on:** June 15, 2006, 11:52:29 PM »

also it doesn't give any vertical guidance, you could still miss the tanker by 20,000'

you need one these too,
zOMG the kc135 would end up looking like a 1943 luftwaffe nachtjaeger

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2006, 12:03:43 AM »

Who needs all that new fangled stuff?

Debonair · « **Reply #8 on:** June 16, 2006, 12:20:38 AM »

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #9 on:** June 16, 2006, 12:34:40 AM »

Debonair, that's ground to air refueling and has no place in this thread.

Roscoroo · « **Reply #10 on:** June 16, 2006, 12:40:03 AM »

i was on the receiving end in WC-135b's ... the receiving plane is on manual because of the turbulance and offset of 100.000 + lbs of fuel getting transfered... i doubt a auto pilot /radar/localizer system would work in this case

it was a pritty bumpy ride at times.

Sandman · « **Reply #11 on:** June 16, 2006, 12:53:27 AM »

http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/movie/SR-71/640x/EM-0025-05.mov

eagl · « **Reply #12 on:** June 16, 2006, 06:27:40 AM »

The UAV refuelling effort is well under way. I don't have many details but there have been test flights to validate certain concepts and technologies that will eventually lead to fully automatic air refuelling.

cav58d · « **Reply #13 on:** June 16, 2006, 05:46:57 PM »

Eagl...On a scale of 1-10 how hard is it to do A2A refueling with an F-15 daylight? Now how about nighttime?

In your opinion who has it harder...You the pilot, or the boom operator in your specific aircraft.....?

Toad · « **Reply #14 on:** June 16, 2006, 05:55:28 PM »

You want to have fun, try onloading ~105K of fuel at night with a bit over an hour of constant time on the boom while the aurora borealis plays out ahead of the tanker.

Can you say vertigo?