KC-135's

[Bringupthebird]

Are any/all KC-135's based on the Boeing 720 fuselage, or are all of them the same size as a 707?

 

[WNC Flyer]

90% sure they are all 707.

 

[navigatro]

Actually, KC-135's are smaller than the 707, and do not have a flight engineer. They are closer in size to the 720. The -135 is shorter and has a smaller diameter fuselage than the 707. It also did not come from the factory with leading edge devices (they were added later on)

They are all similar enough that Military -135 pilots can get a 707 and 720 type rating.

Nav

PS WNC - Congrats on getting out of the pool!

 

[WNC Flyer]

10% sure they are all 707.:laugh:

 

[navigatro]

10% sure they are all 707.:laugh:

You are 100% correct!

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

different wings
different fuselage
-135s never had an FE

But somehow you get a 707/720 type for flying -135s. The -135 must have been pretty revolutionary back in the 50's for flying without an FE.

 

[tomgoodman]

Only 2 pilots, but....

MAC's C-135 verson also lacked a Flight Engineer panel, but they still wanted a third crewmember (fourth, counting the Navigator). Instead of a Boom Operator, they carried an enlisted "Flight Mechanic", who did the walkarounds and other external tasks, then sat in the folding jumpseat and performed most of the F/E duties. I flew the -135 in Systems Command, and we had a hodgepodge of SAC/MAC procedures, modified airplanes, and crew positions.

 

[NWA-AirGuard]

The KC-135 has a 14' diameter fuselage and the 707 has a 16' diameter fuselage. They both started at a 14' diameter. Boeing decided to increase the 707 to 16' and the Air Force keep the KC-135 at 14'. Also the KC-135 has about 15' less of wingspan.

 

[LearLove]

MAC's C-135 verson also lacked a Flight Engineer panel, but they still wanted a third crewmember (fourth, counting the Navigator). Instead of a Boom Operator, they carried an enlisted "Flight Mechanic", who did the walkarounds and other external tasks, then sat in the folding jumpseat and performed most of the F/E duties. I flew the -135 in Systems Command, and we had a hodgepodge of SAC/MAC procedures, modified airplanes, and crew positions.

tom - did you fly the EC135 at Ellsworth??

 

[tomgoodman]

The late, great Systems Command

tom - did you fly the EC135 at Ellsworth??

Lear,

No, at Patrick (Cocoa Beach, FL) and Wright-Patterson (Dayton, OH). Most of the other Systems Command -135s were based at Kirtland (Albuquerque, NM) and Griffiss (Rome, NY), until they herded them all together at Wright-Patterson around 1976. Ellsworth was probably a SAC operation.