alternative tanker air-to-air refueling aircraft

[rickshaw]

Just thought of several more.

USA:
Lockheed Electra/P3 Orion
C-133
DC-7
B-36
B-47
B-52

UK:
Canberra (didn't someone do one here?)
HP Dart Herald
HS 748/Andover

Netherlands:
Fokker F.27
Fokker F.28

French/German
C-160 Transall

European
A-400

Russian
An70

[Weaver]

UK:
Brittania
Argosy
Belfast

Japan:
Shin Meiwa flying boat: infinite loiter time!

Soviet Union:
Beriev Be-12 (refuelling Yak-38s from the carriers)

[McColm]

Lockheed did commission a study to see if the C-141 could be turned into a tanker.
Boeing did propose the 757/767s as tankers in the Australiain bid. The Australians were keen to use B-747s, Boeing however tried to promote newer models and even the Dreamliner.

[PR19_Kit]

Just thought of several more.

UK:
Canberra (didn't someone do one here?)

They did it for real too, and somewhere I've got a piccie of the singleton aircraft they converted. Can I find it? No............ 

[McColm]

I think you will find it was FRADU who tested the Canberra as a buddy tanker, even had inflight refueling probe plumbed in.
see its not just me, who wants to see a KB-52!!

[Weaver]

Most tanker transports are based on airliners, with extra fuel tanks in the under-floor baggage spaces to keep the cabin floor clear. This makes perfect sense if you're converting an airliner, but the result is a less than ideal military transport because the cargo deck has awkward access: side door only and high off the ground.

If you were designing a tanker/transport from the ground up, you could do it like this:

Cargo in the lower deck, with all the access advantages of the C-130 layout,

Cockpit, fuel tanks and wing carry-through in a smaller-diameter upper deck,

Nose loading door, C-5 style,

Conventional, non-opening tail cone with side paradrop doors and a flying boom,

Wingtip HDU pods, with retractable rigid arms that lower the hoses below the level of the wings (seen this on a real aircraft but can't remember which).

You could load it up with max fuel or max cargo or any mix in the middle. Of course, it's unladen weight would be higher than a pure tanker or pure transport, but that's the price of flexibility. Just about the only military transport job it couldn't do is para-dropping large loads, but then a KC-10 can't do that either! (and you could have a tail ramp if you were willing to forego the flying boom)

[GTX]

The Australians were keen to use B-747s

Evidence please.  Beyond one certain individual trying to promote it, this is the first I've heard of this.

Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

There has been a proposed C-17 based Tanker Transport - see here.  I also know this was briefly considered to be offered to the RAAF as part of a comprehensive total overhaul of the Airlift and related capability (also involved V-22s I believe).  Not sure if it was ever formerly offered though.

On another direction, back in 2002, there was some talk by Lockheed of a dedicated, purpose built tanker aircraft - the Force Employment Tanker (FET).  Also see attached pic.

Regards,

Greg

[Maverick]

Whilst looking for other things, I came across this which kinda does the whole "hose & drogue" out of a 'normal' transporter.

Regards,

Mav

[GTX]

I didn't think anything could fly slow enough to be refueled by a 'Bou...must do it in a dive

Regards,

Greg

[Weaver]

On another direction, back in 2002, there was some talk by Lockheed of a dedicated, purpose built tanker aircraft - the Force Employment Tanker (FET).  Also see attached pic.

Regards,

Greg

I bet that'd put on a keen display at airshows with it's tanks nearly empty!  

Makes you wonder why they didn't go the whole Hog and make it a flying wing...


Thinking some more about that FET, you could adapt some of the ideas to my ground-up tanker transport:

1. Extend the boom fairings into full twin tail booms which carry twin fins and possibly tailplanes. The rear of each boom could carry an HDU, giving twin-point refuelling for either type of receiver,

2. Truncate the rear fuselage and go back to a tail ramp now the boom's out of the way,

3. Mount the engines high over the wing centre-section to avoid interference.

[PR19_Kit]

I think you will find it was FRADU who tested the Canberra as a buddy tanker, even had inflight refueling probe plumbed in.

More like the Flight Refuelling Co. itself rather than FRADU. I don't think FRADU actually existed when they did the Canberra trials some time in the '50s.

[McColm]

Cheers me dears,
I'll get back on the Australian transport KB-747 proposal.
Thanks Weaver, now that I've sliced the front off my BAe Nimrod. A ramp would be feesable for internal access or sissor lift. Just have to see whether a landie will fit, in its cargo hold. The cockpit being on a hinge set at its widest angle or pointing towards the wing. Or hinged upwards, using the kneeling option as on the AN-124. Front under carriage will need attention.

[jcf]

The Lockheed box-wing concepts from the '90s have always held great Whif potential.

[chrisonord]

Just thought of several more.

USA:
Lockheed Electra/P3 Orion
C-133
DC-7
B-36
B-47
B-52

UK:
Canberra (didn't someone do one here?)
HP Dart Herald
HS 748/Andover

Netherlands:
Fokker F.27
Fokker F.28

French/German
C-160 Transall

European
A-400

Russian
An70

Here is my Canberra tanker, I made it for my Honduras air force a while back. I envisioned it using the bomb bay and under wing tanks for fuel storage, and I put 2 refuelling pods from a Victor tanker on it.
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,27576.0.html
Chris.