Originally Posted by
BEagle
1. The BDA is a truly dreadful device. I suspect it was invented so that SAC could score points off the USN for specifying probe and drogue as their preferred refuelling method!
More likely because TAC was using P+D as well.
Wasn't the rationale that you could transfer fuel at a greater rate? Cynics would suggest it was so Boeing could get the tanker contract....
Re the Tristar, the alternates were (If my grey cells still work) ex-Laker DC-10s and ex-BA (?) 747s (Certainly someone's 747s)