Salute!
Thank you RAFE, and the special ops folks, as well as the original century attack planes use thed probe. The F-105 could do both.
I really liked the receptacle method, as flying good formation, even in a rainstorm at night, was lots easier than trying to hit the drougue with enuf smash to seat the fuel line.
And that brings up another stoopid thing about the new tanker - the television for the refueling boom! Can't have a real experienced boom-op back there, no, we go high tech with a 3D Tv or whatever and the thing sucks according to the pilots and the old boom operators. Gonna be interesting when the tv system crashes and without a direct view and basic electric/hydraulics to control the boom is not available. Hmmmm..... I refueled a few hundred times in 'nam and later in the Viper and the nuggets just outta pilot training cracked the code and got gas easily.
I am not sure how USAF screwed up the plane, and seems mostly after the procurement and development process was well underway.
The plane I flew that seemed the least bothered by changes from test to production and operational was the Viper, with the SLuf close behind. I'll even award a tie. Sure, we had minor beefs and groans, but went from test to operational in 6 years or so. In my second career I saw the worst of our procurement when the "client" would add new capabilities that were not in the original contract. So Brand X would calmly invoke the "change of scope" clause and demand big $$$ to redo machinery, sfwe and such. So no wonder the purchse price zoomed.
Oh well, I am not happy with the new tanker, but guess we live with the thing.
Gums opines..