Air Refueling

[Right Seat Driver]

https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/rsaf-stratotankers-get-third-lease-of-life, looks like a US operator has bought the Singaporean KC-135R MPRS birds and put N numbers on them.  I wonder if the USAF will sell them parts or retrofit with civilian off the shelf parts. All -135 parts don't have FAA/PMA serviceable tags since they were never type 2 certificated. Logistics is provided by 2 level mx shops at the Depots. The RSAF probably had a huge stockpile of extra parts to go along with the deal. 

Did this sale have to be approved by the US government as the RSAF 135s were FMS? I get the article said the jets won’t have to be de-militarized because they aren’t “US military jets.” But IIRC every FMS jet sale has to be approved.

The last I heard, Uncle Sam wasn’t too keen on the RSAF jets going to a civilian operator.


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[Sua Sponte]

10 hours ago, Right Seat Driver said:

 

Did this sale have to be approved by the US government as the RSAF 135s were FMS? I get the article said the jets won’t have to be de-militarized because they aren’t “US military jets.” But IIRC every FMS jet sale has to be approved.

The last I heard, Uncle Sam wasn’t too keen on the RSAF jets going to a civilian operator.


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But they’re okay with two Dutch KDC-10s being sold to a civilian operator?

[Prosuper]

I wonder how many 135 Guard guys flying with the Airlines are getting phone calls from the new owners to go and get them. On Facebook there is a 135 MX page waiting word on who bought them to update their resumes. Being a fully qualified A&P 135 post dock guy at Tinker I have already gotten some emails about future employment. Tempting.

 

[Lawman]

Refit with boom

Edit (now that I’m not four whiskeys into an angry night)

Congrats to the Navy/Corps found at most 15K of fuel if the RV is taking place right over top of a location for that osprey to get ground fuel... 10K is probably a realistic/optimistic number. But operationally that’s where they plan to put this tanker, right over the boat acting as a way to pass gas to the guy that can’t get aboard the ship for whatever reason.

The Osprey tanker is justified out of giving the CSG another Hornet tanker they can press forward and even bigger about creating a new and useful capability aboard the gator carriers to add a desperately needed flexibility/option for safety that doesn’t currently exist. For those unfamiliar with the landing weight requirements in Harrier, it basically drives the air ops plan on the boat because it has no flexibility in fuel planning. When it is within its weight for landing its barely above bingo. The 35 will have a bit more leeway but it’s still a friction point in operations. Having a tanker that is organic to the air wing instead of needing to be within range of land based 130s or a Carrier Strike Group opens options for a MEU.

Given the number of AFSOC tiltrotors even available and the given locations for them to stage from, you gotta ask what does that actually buy you in combat power. It takes gas to move gas the further/longer the less useful it is... the Osprey is still a slow fat kid compared to a 130 much less a jet carrying buddy tank ability. Trying to push it forward to provide gas becomes a self licking ice cream cone really fast, and unlike the 130 it can’t go up and catch a drink of the 135 to stay useful.

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[Best-22]

19 hours ago, Lawman said:

Given the number of AFSOC tiltrotors even available and the given locations for them to stage from, you gotta ask what does that actually buy you in combat power. It takes gas to move gas the further/longer the less useful it is... the Osprey is still a slow fat kid compared to a 130 much less a jet carrying buddy tank ability. Trying to push it forward to provide gas becomes a self licking ice cream cone really fast, and unlike the 130 it can’t go up and catch a drink of the 135 to stay useful.

 

Plus it would be a gigantic waste of capability to use AFSOC CV-22's as a tanker. (In my opinion)

2 minor points: Cruise speed is about 90% that of a J model, and although it's not compatible with the -135 it can refuel from a KC-10 and probably the -46? Not that it matters, just fun facts.

 

On 9/11/2020 at 7:13 PM, viper154 said:

I can’t imagine the wake turbulence would be very fun. In helicopter mode they are absolutely nasty. I avoid them like the plague. Team guys hate roping out of them, told us it was very unpleasant, they much preferred a standard helo. Maybe they aren’t as bad in airplane mode.  They also are as reliable as $500 1985 350,000 mile craigslist add car that’s never had a oil change. 

Just normal airplane wake turbulence in airplane mode.

[Prosuper]

https://defbrief.com/2020/10/01/us-firm-meta-aerospace-confirms-purchase-of-singaporean-kc-135-tankers/?fbclid=IwAR1uBwkHKD_t-nUms-SYxjpD3zmrCAQuIFKLkZJ3PCc4rMXb5Vy8sCZKDTU   I wonder if they have contracts lined up, probably overseas getting allies over to Red Flag will be customers.

[Sua Sponte]

5 hours ago, Prosuper said:

https://defbrief.com/2020/10/01/us-firm-meta-aerospace-confirms-purchase-of-singaporean-kc-135-tankers/?fbclid=IwAR1uBwkHKD_t-nUms-SYxjpD3zmrCAQuIFKLkZJ3PCc4rMXb5Vy8sCZKDTU   I wonder if they have contracts lined up, probably overseas getting allies over to Red Flag will be customers.

The USAF has one tanker that's 60+ years old, they're retiring their other tanker, and their new tanker is still technically IOT&E. They'll have customers.

[Prosuper]

11 minutes ago, Sua Sponte said:

The USAF has one tanker that's 60+ years old, they're retiring their other tanker, and their new tanker is still technically IOT&E. They'll have customers.

Just post docked a 57 model, it took a bunch of parts to get it to crew ready status. Still has some water injection tubing in it.

 

[Sua Sponte]

2 hours ago, Prosuper said:

Just post docked a 57 model, it took a bunch of parts to get it to crew ready status. Still has some water injection tubing in it.

 

Hopefully it still had the original jump seat in it too, the one that was actually stressed for ditching or crash landing.

[herkbum]

Just post docked a 57 model, it took a bunch of parts to get it to crew ready status. Still has some water injection tubing in it.
 

Was it a KTYS bird?


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[Prosuper]

7 hours ago, herkbum said:

Was it a KTYS bird?


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KRIV, it passed.