Posted on 08/10/2016 6:43:05 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
One of my fondest memories was watching a 111 do a zippo after refueling when a boomer friend of mine allowed me to watch from the boom pod.
I still remember him always saying -- I have the best job in the world, I get to lay down and pass gas all day!
That is why those of us who regularly deployed on 135's would arrange with the crew to put our sleeping bags or pads on top of the pallets (preferably up near the air ducts). The only thing on the floor would be a cooler of drinks that could be kept nice and cold down there. ;-)
A snap crackle and pop when they got past you on while on water. It was particularly noticeable on a cold day.
I can remember days at Altus AFB when the 135's were louder than the B-52's on takeoff.
This is/was true only for selected components like the JT3-Ds (KC-135E) and the taller tail cap.
It is a common myth that the KC-135 is a modified B707. In fact, the reverse is more true. The KC-135 design was actually finalized before the B707's. The 707 profited significantly from the KC-135 design.
The KC-135 has a forward crew access hatch, smaller fuselage diameter and laminated wood decking in addition to accomodations for the fuel bladders. Anyone who has laced those in will appreciate the fuselage diameter difference. The wings, wingroots and flaps have significant geometric differences too between the 135 and 707.
Some commercial 707s have been modified as tankers for the some clients and some commercial operators.
Two of us in our F-105D’s lined up behind a KC135 water wagon
at Hickham Rwy 8, and had to wait about a minute for the black smoke to clear before we rolled to catch him.
Once airborne the refueling was a piece of cake as we were matched in cruising speed. The KC topped us off and dropped into Wake while we continued to Anderson at Guam.
A great improvement over KB-50 refueling.
Sometime in 1964.
While it was true the KC-135E upgrades used the engines and the vertical tail salvaged from scrapped 707 airliners, I believe some other 707 structural parts were used on the KC-135E's. But the KC-135R upgrade was much more serious, because it required wing upgrades to accommodate the four CFM56 engines.
How long were you in? My uncle flew an F-105 as well, out of Thailand.
Tarawa,
I was at Korat, Thailand, in the 12th TFS, TDY from Kadena, from fall ‘64 until a shoot down on this date, 10Aug65.
We used KC tankers out of Dom Muang, Bangkok every mission. After T/O we would top-off going North, and we were grateful they were available when needed on the way back to base. Sometimes they also went dangerously North to help out when we had a downed bird.
My first name is Matt, wife’s name Margo. Ask your uncle if he knows me.
I served with terrific officers and men, and we were badly served by Johnson, Macnamara and Rusk.
The heater on the KC-135 is the largest machine in the world that does absolutely nothing. I’d take a C-130 flight over a 135 anytime.
“A retired USAF Lt. Colonel told me it took three 135s to fill up a B-52 for a prolonged patrol. “
I had to look it up (you are correct)!
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104465/b-52-stratofortress.aspx
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104524/kc-135-stratotanker.aspx
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