alternative tanker air-to-air refueling aircraft

[rickshaw]

"Pedestrian speed"?  First time I've heard 500+ mph called that!   

[Maverick]

I guess it's relative.  Not all refuellers will perform the operation or even be capable of reaching 500mph.  In any case, supersonic refuelling is still a pipe dream IMO.

Regards,

Mav

[McColm]

thanks

[Jschmus]

I saw this bit of news today.  DARPA are testing for the possibility of using modified RQ-4 Global Hawks as in-flight refueling platforms.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-20041781-42.html

[PR19_Kit]

Donning a psuedo JMN hat (perish the very thought....) shouldn't we be talking about 'AAR' rather than 'IFR'?

'IFR' means 'Instrument Flight Rules' in the real aviation world, and in flight refuelling is called 'Air to Air Refuelling', thus 'AAR'.

[JMN mode off........]

[rallymodeller]

Otehr contenders for refuelling helicopters: DHC Buffalo, Dash-7 and Dash-8 -- they can fly really slow, for example the DHC-7's stall speed is 85kt...

YOu could also look at the Bombardier CRJ and derivatives as a smaller alternative.

The Bear might have some issues. The big turboprops make a mighty propwash and the air behind them is supposedly hellishly turbulent, according to pilots who have intercepted them.

How about P-3 Orions? The USN has boatloads of them (so to speak).

Continuing on the patrol aircraft theme, the RAF will soon have a bunch of remaindered Nimrods...

Returning to the USN, Fokker proposed a version of the F.28 Fellowship as not only a tanker, but as a COD aircraft as well, with suitable mods for launching and recovering from a carrier:

[Hobbes]

Hi Rally,

where did you find that F-28 pic?

[PR19_Kit]

Continuing on the patrol aircraft theme, the RAF will soon have a bunch of remaindered Nimrods...

No they won't, the MoD will scrap them all very quickly, just so they can say 'What's a Nimrod? ' when the question comes up in the next few months....... <sigh>

[rallymodeller]

Hi Rally,

where did you find that F-28 pic?

It's actually out of the Operating Manual for the Project Fokker Jetsim FS9 F.28. You can get this stuff in the weirdest places.

Which reminds me. I was going to do a USN F.28...

[Weaver]

Continuing on the patrol aircraft theme, the RAF will soon have a bunch of remaindered Nimrods...

No they won't, the MoD will scrap them all very quickly, just so they can say 'What's a Nimrod? ' when the question comes up in the next few months....... <sigh>

I think all the MR.2s have already gone to scrapyards or museums. The MRA.4s were scrapped where they stood, of course (nearly all gone now.... )

Re supersonics, refuelling at supersonic speed might be fraught with difficulties, but you could see advantages to the tanker having supersonic dash capability to get to where it's needed quicker and the get out of trouble! The result might be like that B1 proposal, with swing wings for efficient subsonic loiter and high speed dash. Yes, the swing wing mechanism would cut into the payload, but B1's arn't exactly short  of bombs, and VG tends to make more sense with bigger aircraft than smaller ones.

[Hobbes]

It's actually out of the Operating Manual for the Project Fokker Jetsim FS9 F.28. You can get this stuff in the weirdest places.

Which reminds me. I was going to do a USN F.28...

ah, thanks. The F.28 COD is intriguing, and one I might build one day...

[GTX]

It's actually out of the Operating Manual for the Project Fokker Jetsim FS9 F.28. You can get this stuff in the weirdest places.

Which reminds me. I was going to do a USN F.28...

ah, thanks. The F.28 COD is intriguing, and one I might build one day...

What kits are there?

Regards,

Greg

[Hobbes]

The only one I'm aware of is a Gatwick Miniature resin kit. I've considered using a Fokker 100 kit instead.

[Hobbes]

I've got one lying around minus engines.

[MAD]

Hi Rally,

where did you find that F-28 pic?

It's actually out of the Operating Manual for the Project Fokker Jetsim FS9 F.28. You can get this stuff in the weirdest places.

Which reminds me. I was going to do a USN F.28...

Looking forward to what you come up with!!
Are you going to do various variants of the carrier-based F.28....i.e ASW, AEW etc?

M.A.D