List of tanker aircraft
This is a list of tanker aircraft used for aerial refuelling of another aircraft whilst in powered flight.
A Russian Air Force (VVS) Ilyushin Il-78 tanker aircraft with its two hose and drogue refuelling devices extended is followed by two Sukhoi Su-24 attack jet aircraft simulating aerial refuelling, flanked by four smaller Yakovlev Yak-130 trainer/fighter aircraft, from the celebration flypast during the Moscow Victory Day Parade of 2010.
Refueling methods
- Looped hose
- The first commercial method employed a hose which was held slack in a trailing half-loop behind both aircraft. The receiving aircraft flew just below the tanker and deployed a steel line, which the tanker caught with its own grappling line and drew in. The tanker then connected the first steel line to the refueling hose and paid it out as the receiving aircraft reeled it back in.
- Probe-and-drogue
- The tanker trails a flexible hose with a stabilising drogue on the end and the receiving aircraft manoeuvers to insert a short probe into the receptacle in the drogue.
- Flying boom
- The tanker extends a hinged telescopic boom with aerodynamic control surfaces on its end. An operator "flies" it to match up with a receptacle on the receiving aircraft, which then moves forwards to make the connection.
- Wing-to-wing
- A hybrid method in which the tanker trails a flexible hose from a wing and the receiving aircraft catches it in a hooked receptacle under one of its own wings.
- Buddy refueling
- An aircraft type is fitted with both supply and receiving hardware, so that one aircraft can refuel another of the same type.
Gallery
These images illustrate various aerial refuelling methods.
First successful mid-air refuelling in 1923.
Looped hose refuelling during round-the-world flight.
Helicopter with refuelling probe approaching the drogue trailed by a tanker.
Probe inserted in drogue for refuelling.
Flying boom refuelling..jpg.webp)
Flying boom refuelling at night.
List of aircraft
| tanker aircraft | based upon | aircraft propulsion method | fuel supply method | operators | orig. date | original and current status | qty | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A310 MRTT | Airbus A310-300C | 2x turbofan jet | probe and drogue | Canada / France / Germany | operational | 6 | Two for Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), known in service as CC-150T Polaris | |
| Airbus A330 MRTT | Airbus A330-200 | 2x turbofan jet | probe and drogue | Australia / Saudi Arabia / Spain / United Arab Emirates / United Kingdom | operational | ?? KC2 5 KC3 | In Royal Air Force (RAF) service, it is exclusively hose-and-drogue, and is known as Voyager KC2 (two under-wing hose and drogue) and Voyager KC3 (two under-wing hose and drogue plus under-fuselage centreline high capacity hose and drogue), with no self-refuelling capability. Australian, Emirati, and Saudi operators have a refuelling boom in addition to wing mounted hose-and-drogue. | |
| Airbus A330 MRTT | Airbus A330-200 | 2x turbofan jet | flying boom | Australia / Saudi Arabia / United Arab Emirates | operational | Versions operated by the Australian, Emirati, and Saudi air forces are equipped with both a flying boom and hose and drogue refuelling units. | ||
| Airbus A400M Atlas | Airbus A400M Atlas | 4x Europrop TP400 turboprop | probe and drogue | Spain / Germany / France | 2013 | operational | ||
| Airco DH.4 | Airco DH.4 | radial propeller | gravity flow hose | United States | 1923 | retired | 1 | US Army Air Service trials at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California.[1] |
| Avro Lancaster | Avro Lancaster | 4x Rolls-Royce Merlin propeller | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | 1948 | retired | Purchased and converted by Flight Refuelling Limited (FRL).[2] | |
| Avro Lancastrian | Avro Lancaster | 4x Rolls-Royce Merlin propeller | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | 1948 | retired | 4 | Purchased and converted by Flight Refuelling Limited (FRL), two Lancastrian tankers were based at Shannon, Ireland; the other two in North America, at Goose Bay, Labrador, and Gander, Newfoundland.[2] |
| Avro Lincoln | Avro Lincoln | 4x Rolls-Royce Merlin propeller | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | retired | Purchased and converted by Flight Refuelling Limited (FRL).[2] | ||
| Avro Vulcan K.2 | Avro Vulcan | 4x jet | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | retired | Saw action during Black Buck raids of the 1982 Falklands War. | ||
| Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 | Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 | 2x Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan jet | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | retired | Buddy-buddy refuelling. | ||
| Boeing 707 | Boeing 367-80 (Dash 80) | 4x jet | probe and drogue | Canada / United States | operational | Variants: Colombian Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker with multi-point refuelling system pods. Two for RCAF as CC-137 Husky. | ||
| Boeing 767 | Boeing 767 | 2x jet | probe and drogue | United States | operational | Conversion by IAI. FAC, a 767-200ER fitted with two ARP3 refuelling pods under the wings, and cargo door. | ||
| Boeing KB-29M | Boeing B-29 Superfortress | 4x radial propeller | probe and drogue | United States | 1948 | retired | 126 | The world’s first aerial refuelling units were created; the 43d Air Refueling Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and the 509th at Walker AFB, Roswell, New Mexico. Earlier KB-29M versions used a 'grappling hose' system, later models used a true probe and drogue. One KB-29M, redesignated YKB-29T (nicknamed 'Triple Nipple'), was modified to have another two refuelling hoses on its wingtip.[2] |
| Boeing KB-29P | Boeing B-29 Superfortress | 4x radial propeller | flying boom | United States | 1948 | retired | 100+ | [2] |
| Boeing KB-50 | Boeing B-50 Superfortress | 4x radial propeller | probe and drogue | United States | retired | An improved model of the B-29 Superfortress. | ||
| Boeing KB-50 | Boeing B-50 Superfortress | 4x radial propeller | flying boom | United States | retired | A B-29 derivative. | ||
| Boeing KC-33A | Boeing 747-100 | 4x jet | flying boom | Iran | 4 | KC-33A is a modified Boeing 747 which lost in the USAF bidding competition to the KC-10 Extender. Four sold to the Iranian Air Force. | ||
| Boeing KC-46 Pegasus | Boeing 767-200ER | 2x jet | flying boom | United States | production | USAF designation for Boeing's updated winning KC-767 entry. | ||
| Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter | Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter | 4x radial propeller | flying boom | United States | Another B-29 Superfortress descendant.[2] | |||
| Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker | Boeing 367-80 (Dash 80) | 4x jet | flying boom | Indonesia / United States | operational | Boom can be fitted pre-flight with a drogue adapter. AdlA KC-135 Stratotankers use the probe and drogue system. MPRS models for the Indonesian Air Force will have two hose reels drogues (pods) at the wingtips. | ||
| Boeing KC-767 | Boeing 767-200ER | 2x jet | flying boom | United States | operational | With cockpit updates, was (eventually) the winning entry in the USAF KC-X competition. | ||
| Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | 2x jet | probe and drogue | United States | Equipped for buddy-buddy refuelling as 'Strike tankers'. Taking over tanking duties as the S-3 is retired from service. | |||
| Consolidated B-24 Liberator | Consolidated B-24 Liberator | 4x radial propeller | United States | 1943 | retired | Used for flight tests with a B–17E receiver.[2] | ||
| Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard | Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard | jet | probe and drogue | France | Buddy-buddy refuelling. | |||
| Dassault Rafale | Dassault Rafale | 2x jet | probe and drogue | France | Buddy-buddy refuelling. | |||
| de Havilland Sea Vixen | de Havilland Sea Vixen | 2x jet | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | retired | Buddy-buddy refuelling. | ||
| Douglas KA-3B Skywarrior | Douglas A-3 Skywarrior | jet | probe and drogue | United States | retired | Dedicated tanker variant of the Skywarrior. Primary US Navy tanker from the Vietnam War until retirement prior to Desert Storm. | ||
| Douglas A-4 Skyhawk | Douglas A-4 Skyhawk | turbojet | probe and drogue | United States | retired | Buddy-buddy refuelling. | ||
| Douglas C-1 | Douglas C-1 | inline propeller | gravity flow hose | United States | 1929 | retired | 2 | The C-1 was a single-engine transport, 6,445-pound biplane, transformed into tankers by installing two 150-gallon tanks for off-loading, and a refuelling hose that passed through a hatch cut in the floor.[2][1] |
| Embraer KC-390 | Embraer C-390 Millennium | 2x IAE V2500 turbofan jet | probe and drogue | Brazil | Cobham air-to-air refuelling system. | |||
| Grumman KA-6D Intruder | Grumman A-6 Intruder | 2x jet | probe and drogue | United States | Dedicated tanker variant of the Intruder. Attack variants of the A-6 also capable of buddy-buddy tanking. | |||
| Handley Page HP.54 Harrow | Handley Page HP.54 Harrow | 2x Bristol Pegasus radial propeller | looped hose | United Kingdom | 1939 | retired | 3 | Three Harrows were operated by Flight Refuelling Limited, and refuelled Short Empire flying boats on transatlantic services, two from Gander, Newfoundland and one based in Foynes, Ireland.[2] |
| Handley Page Type W | Handley Page W.10 | 2x Napier Lion propeller | looped hose | United Kingdom | 1935 | retired | 2 | Early trials and demonstrations by Flight Refuelling Ltd using a piston engined biplane.[2] |
| Handley Page Victor | Handley Page Victor B.1 bomber | 4x jet | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | 1965 | retired | 30 | B(K).1A, K.1, K.1A and K.2 variants in Royal Air Force service, operated by No. 55 Squadron from RAF Marham. A number of Victor tankers saw action during Black Buck raids of the 1982 Falklands War, refuelling the Avro Vulcan bombers multiple times during each bombing run. Fleet retired October 1993. |
| Ilyushin Il-78 Midas | Ilyushin Il-76 | 4x turbofan jet | probe and drogue | USSR, China | ||||
| Lockheed HC-130 Hercules & KC-130 Hercules | Lockheed C-130 Hercules & C-130J Super Hercules | 4x turboprop | probe and drogue | Canada / Indonesia / United Kingdom / United States | Variants: Royal Canadian Air Force modified C-130H, Indonesian Air Force modified KC-130B, Royal Air Force modified C-130K, United States Marine Corps modified C-130F.[1] | |||
| Lockheed KS-3B | Lockheed S-3 Viking | 2x turbofan jet | probe and drogue | United States | retired | The former primary US Navy carrier-based tanker, equipped for buddy-buddy tanking. | ||
| Lockheed TriStar K1 / KC1 (RAF) | Lockheed L-1011-500 TriStar | 3x Rolls-Royce RB211-524B turbofan jet | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | 1986 | retired | 6 | Two K1 and four KC1 variants operated by No. 216 Squadron Royal Air Force from RAF Brize Norton. Fleet retired 24 March 2014. |
| LTV A-7 Corsair II | LTV A-7 Corsair II | jet | probe and drogue | Greece / United States | Equipped for buddy-buddy tanking in US Navy and Greek Air Force service. | |||
| McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender | McDonnell Douglas DC-10 | 3x jet | flying boom | Netherlands / United States | production | Also has a retractable hose and drogue that can be selected in-flight. Can be fitted with two underwing pods (similar to the KC-135's MPRS) capable of simultaneously refuelling two receiver aircraft (Wing Air Refueling Pods or WARPs). The Royal Netherlands Air Force operates two KDC-10s; former civil aircraft modified to a standard similar to the KC-10. | ||
| Mikoyan MiG-29K | Mikoyan MiG-29M | jet | probe and drogue | USSR | Buddy-buddy refuelling. | |||
| Myasishchev M-4-2 | Myasishchev M-4 bomber | 4x jet | probe and drogue | USSR | retired | |||
| Myasishchev 3MS-2 | Myasishchev 3M bomber | 4x jet | probe and drogue | USSR | retired | |||
| Panavia Tornado | Panavia Tornado | 2x RB199 turbofan jet | probe and drogue | retired | Buddy-buddy refuelling. | |||
| Sukhoi Su-24M | Sukhoi Su-24 | 2x jet | probe and drogue | USSR | Equipped for buddy-buddy refuelling in the Russian Air Force with the in-flight refuelling pod (Russian: universalny podvesnoy agregat zapravki – UPAZ)[3] container as 'Strike tankers'. | |||
| Sukhoi Su-33 | Sukhoi Su-33 | 2x jet | probe and drogue | USSR | Buddy-buddy refuelling. | |||
| Supermarine Scimitar | Supermarine Scimitar | jet | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | retired | Buddy-buddy refuelling. | ||
| Tupolev Tu-16N | Tupolev Tu-16 bomber | 2x jet | probe and drogue | USSR | ||||
| Tupolev Tu-16Z | Tupolev Tu-16 | 2x jet | wing to wing | USSR | ||||
| Vickers Valiant | Vickers Valiant | 4x jet | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | retired | B(PR)K.1 and B(K).1 variants served with the Royal Air Force. | ||
| Vickers VC10 C1K, K2, K3, K4 | Vickers VC10 | 4x Rolls-Royce Conway turbofan jet | probe and drogue | United Kingdom | retired | 27 | C1K (13), K2 (5), K3 (4), and K4 (5) variants served with the Royal Air Force, operated by 10 Squadron, 101 Squadron, and 1312 Flight. Fleet retired 20 September 2013. | |
| Xian H-6U | Xian H-6 | 2x jet | probe and drogue | China | People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China. | |||
| tanker aircraft | based upon | aircraft propulsion method | fuel supply method | operators | orig. date | original and current status | qty | notes |
References
- "Aerial Refueling". www.CentennialOfFlight.gov. U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Archived from the original on 26 February 2003.
- Richard K. Smith (1998). "Seventy-Five Years of Inflight Refueling – Highlights, 1923–1998" (PDF). www.AirForceHistory.HQ.AF.Mil. Air Force History and Museums Program – United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
- Gordon, Yefim; Dexter, Keith (2002). Polikarpov's Biplane Fighters. Hinckley, Leicestershire: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-141-5.
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