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Can an air tanker refuel itself?
The cost of the refueling equipment on both tanker and receiver aircraft and the specialized aircraft handling of the aircraft to be refueled (very close “line astern” formation flying) has resulted in the activity only being used in military operations. There is no known regular civilian in-flight refueling activity.
How much fuel does a tanker plane carry?
(The most common American tanker, the KC-135, can hold up to 200,000 pounds of gas, or 29,000 gallons.) But tankers equipped with probe-and-drogue systems can refuel as many as three planes at once (although two is usually the maximum).
Can a KC 135 use its own fuel?
Nearly all internal fuel can be pumped through the tanker’s flying boom, the KC-135’s primary fuel transfer method. A special shuttlecock-shaped drogue, attached to and trailing behind the flying boom, may be used to refuel aircraft fitted with probes.
Where does the fuel come from in a tanker plane?
Do tanker aircraft, (such as the KC-135, KC-10, S-3B, etc), distribute fuel from their own fuel tanks, or is it strictly from a separate cargo tank?
What are the advantages of separating fuel into multiple tanks?
Separating the fuel into multiple tanks has several advantages: The tanker is still serviceable with one or more of the tanks unable to carry fuel (leak in the bladder, pump failure, etc). Sloshing of the fuel in the tanks has less effect on the weight distribution of the aircraft.
How are aviation fuels transported to an airport?
Intermediate TerminalsAs noted, in a few cases aviation fuels are transported directly from a refinery to an airport. But more commonly they are distrib- uted by a large multiproduct pipeline or ship or barge to an intermediate terminal from which they are transshipped to nearby airports.
How does an air tanker do aerial refueling?
The tanker aircraft flies straight and level and extends the hose/drogue which is allowed to trail out behind and below the tanker under normal aerodynamic forces. The pilot of the receiver aircraft extends the probe (if required) and uses normal flight controls to “fly” the refueling probe directly into the basket.