Hauling Trash - Air Freighters, Cargo Transport Aircraft, and Guppies

[nev]

RAF Me323s in FEAF markings?


*sensory overload*

     

[Aircav]

Could always do one in Japanese markings      

[Radish]

A Japanese Gigant would need rigging.  

[lancer]

A Japanese Gigant would need rigging.

Oh no it wouldn't..        

[SebastianP]

The Boeing 707 and its close relative the C-135 have been used for pretty much everything you could come up with, barring actual weapons delivery, to the point where it seems the USAF hardly even bothered with other airframes for non-combat roles. Aside from a few one-offs such as the VC-25 and the E-4 (based on the 747), and some very recent ideas involving the 767 and 737, the 707 has had a near stranglehold on this market.

But what if it hadn't? What other airliners could have taken the place of all those KC-135 and 707 airframes?

I've been thinking about getting a DC-8 kit or something similar and giving it the USAF treatment in some form - AWACS, tanker or other doesn't really matter, all I want is to make people scratch their heads wondering why it doesn't look quite right. But how about other airliners?

What applications could you put the 777 to, for instance? Or the many varied Airbuses?

[dy031101]

You beat me to it as to ask the question although I never got past thinking them as possible AEW&C (some larger examples would make very luxurious ones)......

[GTX]

If I could get a decent Comet 4 kit, I'd like to do some tanker and AWACS versions.

Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

I suppose other variants could be any of the extensive range of electronic warfare applications the C-135/707 we used for or even ASW/MP - there was a 707 based proposal for such.

Regards,

Greg

[jcf]

A-330 based tankers are being done and 777 based refuelers are being mooted.

DC-8-30, 50 and 62 series aircraft were used by the French in the air transport and ELINT roles, the ELINT aircraft had large wingtip mounted SLAR pods.

DC-8-55 Sarique

More DC-8 Sarique pics

Peru, Spain and Thailand also used the DC-8 as a military transport.
The USN operated one DC-8-54F as the EC-24A, it was used as an 'aggressor' aircraft for electronic warfare tests.


The RAF used the Lockheed L-1011 as tanker/transports, designated  Tristar K Mk 1, KC Mk 1 and K Mk 2.

Jon

[GTX]

A-330 based tankers are being done and 777 based refuelers are being mooted.

Correct - the RAAF's A330MRTTs are already flying:



plus the RAF will some be using them.

The Japanese use the E-767:



and there are also some KC-7676 tankers around (it tends to lose out to the 330 lately though, hence why I understand Boeing started to moot the KC-777 (not sure of accuracy of this desig').

Regards,

Greg

[jcf]

Japan and Italy are the KC-767 customers.

Jon

[Thorvic]

AEW DC-8



Along with the 747  

[B777LR]

Boeing has been proposing just about everything they produce for the USAF tanker program (from the 717 to the 747-8 + C-17).

Iran has a couple of KC-747s (Although its unknown how many can still fly, and recent photos showed that refueling booms had been removed from one airframe)

The russian air force has a few Il-86s with ELINT equipment. (think ive seen tanker versions as well)

Boeing does a 737-700 with AWACS equipment (australia and korea has ordered these)

Israeli Aircraft Industry converts Gulftstreams into mini-AWACS

The P-3 is based on an airliner (Lockheed Electra)

Constellations where converted to airborne early warning duties

The USN has ordered 737-800 based ASW planes (P-8 Poseidon)

India is looking on 737 (P-8) and A-319 based ASW planes

The Il-38 May is based on the Il-18

Nimrod is based on Comet

The CN-235MP/MPA ASW aircraft is based on the civilian version of the same aircraft

Fokker converted a few F-27s and F-50s into maritime patrol aircraft

ATR offers the ATR-42 as a maritime patrol aircraft

SAAB converted SAAB-2000/340 into S-100 AWACS planes

EMB-145 AWACS

ASTOR Sentinel (gulfstream)

Airborne Laser (747-400F)

A-310 MRTT (Luftwaffe)

[GTX]

The USN has ordered 737-800 based ASW planes (P-8 Poseidon)

India is looking on 737 (P-8) and A-319 based ASW planes

Australia is also heading this way.

There have also been similar ASW/MP proposals based arounf the A320.

Regards,

Greg

[upnorth]

In Canada, the Bristol Britania design was developed into the Yukon transport and gave several  components to the CP-107 Argus ASW aircraft.

Of course you can't forget what the South Africans did with their surplus DC-3s. A sub hunter known as the "Dakleton"