Stratotankers

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Air Enthusiast no.127 (the current issue) has an article on the KC-135 including details of proposed upgrades to the KC-135A in 1977. Amongst them KC-135H would have mated the existing fuselage with 707 wing & 4xTF33-P-7's. KC-135ME would have kept J57's on the outboard pylons, but replaced the inner engines with CFM 56; also new,wider chord (545 sq.ft.) horizontal stabilizers. Could look different - if one can face battling with that AMT kit!  :dum:  

[Shasper]

Or as an Alt, Get one of the Minicraft 144th 707 kits and botch it up (IK the 707 isnt the same as a 135, but we're not JMNs here are we?)


SHas B)

[Archibald]

Well, there's Heller C-135FR in 1/72 scale    

[B777LR]

Suggested upgrades:

1. Put it in AMARC
2. Remove systems
3. Remove engines
4. Scrap airframe
5. Buy tons of KC-767! ^_^
6. Fit GeNX engines to KC-767!


Seriously, they should add 737 winglets to the -135

And how about fitting 2 hoses under wings as well? Would make 1 version able to refuel air force and navy planes  

[Shasper]

Trip-7, the SLEPd R models have attachment for HDU buddy pods, however the avalibility of those pods are limited.

Shas B)

[Jennings]

People, people, people... The KC-135 (btw, NOBODY in the US calls it a Stratotanker, it's just a KC-135) happens to be my absolute favorite airplane in the world.  In fact, I just logged 2 pleasant hours in the KC-135R simulator at Robins AFB, Georgia over the holidays!  I shot touch & go landings for two hours, and I had rather sore shoulders.  The KC is a real manly airplane

Yes, all those possible mods were proposed, but none was ever taken seriously by the USAF.  They ended up with the simple solution of putting CFM-56 engines on them, albeit still without thrust reverse (silly sods).

Kits:

There have only ever been two 1/72 KC-135 kits.  The ancient (1977) Nova vacuform, and the AMT/Ertl/Heller injection molded kit.

The Minicraft 707 is NOT, in any way, shape, form, or fashion a KC-135.  I'm not a JMN, but it's about akin to saying a Westland Welkin is more or less a KC-135.  They're both airplanes, and that's about as far as you can go (did I mention I'm prone to hyperbole?).  Seriously, they're vastly, vastly different airplanes.  They're distant cousins if anything.

Sadly, I know of three 1/144 KC-135 injection molded kit projects that have been stillborn, including one by a "major" kit manufacturer.  I just don't get it.  We have multiple kits of the Wyvern and now the Gannet, but no decent 1/144 kit of the KC-135 (let's not go into the Welsh kit... the less said the better).

Now, while it's still a 707, the ancient Revell 1/139 kit can be made into a respectable KC-135 with a modicum of work.  The wing can be used as-is (it's actually got nicely engraved detail once you sand down all the rivets).  The fuselage needs to be shortened, and since Revell missed the lobe crease on the side, you can get away with using it as-is except for the length.  All '135 variants except the basic KC-135A/E/Q/R/T tankers (anything derived from a KC-135A) has only one a/c pack intake under the wing root (707s all have two).  Any '135 other than the basic tankers also has two.

The Revell kit has been issued as a KC-135 (which it is NOT, no matter what it says on the box or the kit parts), a 707-120/120B (which it is), an E-3 AWACS (which it is NOT), and most recently as a 720 (which is DEFINITELY is not).  The JT3C engines in the original 707 issue, the KC-135 issue, and the 720 issue can be made into J57s by simply removing the turbocompressor hoods on the front end of the pylons and leaving off any daisy petal noise suppressors.  The other kits have JT3D turbofans, which may or may not be appropriate for a '135, depending on what and when (anyone interested, I have all the details on that).

It should theoretically be possible to rob the CFMs (if not the pylons) from the Minicraft DC-8-71/73 kits to make a proper KC-135R/T this way, although I haven't tried it.

If anyone has any questions about '135s, I'm your guy.



J

[Shasper]

The Minicraft 707 is NOT, in any way, shape, form, or fashion a KC-135.  I'm not a JMN, but they're vastly, vastly different airplanes.  They're distant cousins if anything.

And I'm not going to disput that, my remark was made from the view that, with a tad bit of work a vanilla 707/ model 137 can pass as a model 135. Besides, the Canadians and the Israelis, among a few other that I dont remember at the mo', use the 137 as a tanker, but thats a diffeerent topic all together.


Shas B)

[Jennings]

...with a tad bit of work a vanilla 707/ model 137 can pass as a model 135.

If you say so  You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig  

J

[Shasper]

Depends on How Technical you want to get, like a regular farm pig verses a warthawg  


Now I'm not going to set here & insult your intelligence, but seeing as there is a lack of a proper small scale 135, us modelers have to resort to . . . other means in order to get one.


Besides, joe blow sunday wouldnt be able to tell the difference between a 707 and a 135 if they looked alike


Shas B)

[Jennings]

Depends on How Technical you want to get, like a regular farm pig verses a warthawg  


Now I'm not going to set here & insult your intelligence, but seeing as there is a lack of a proper small scale 135, us modelers have to resort to . . . other means in order to get one.


Besides, joe blow sunday wouldnt be able to tell the difference between a 707 and a 135 if they looked alike


Shas B)

You'll just never convince me.  One of my life's main missions is to explode the myth of commonality between the Boeing 707 and the Boeing 717 (the *real* Boeing 717, not the MD-95) and to bring enlightenment to the unwashed masses



J

[Mike Wren]

One of my life's main missions is to explode the myth of commonality between the Boeing 707 and the Boeing 717 (the *real* Boeing 717, not the MD-95) and to bring enlightenment to the unwashed masses

   a fine goal, too

[Shasper]

You'll just never convince me.  One of my life's main missions is to explode the myth of commonality between the Boeing 707 and the Boeing 717 and to bring enlightenment to the unwashed masses

And I'm not intending to convince a man so passionate as yourself of that fact, and I bid thee good luck on your quest.


Shas  B)  

[B777LR]

Commonality between 717 and 707? They are the same aircraft, right?

[Shasper]

Nope, the model 717 (similar to the Dash 80) is smaller diameter wise, among other differences. Boeing widened the 707 to get 5 abreast seating (IIRC) in order to compete with the DC-8.

Now I'm sure dear Jennings can clarify/correct my information, as I'm not up on my boeing stuff


Shas B)

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Sorry about "Stratotanker", Jennings - just showing my age!
I learn that a  tanker version of the L-193 was declared the winner of the USAF tanker competition in 1955 over the "interim" KC-135!    See Air Enthusiast 126 & Secret Projects - Postwar Secret Projects - "re Lockheed Jet Tanker" by Archibald. Picture on this forum's  alternative history Lockheed L-193 topic.
The US taxpayer has certainly had full value out of the KC-135 programme. I hate to think how much time, space and cash you would need to model every variant of the KC-135, let alone the whifs or the 707's!