RAF Rivet Joint
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This isn't 'new' news? As far as I knew it was always just going to have a boom system - shame the usual ranters on here didn't pick up on that when the original contract was issued and maybe they could have individually contacted the MOD to point out the error of their ways.... they could have re-written the contract! If they bothered to read this stuff.. 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Mos Eisley
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Any news on why the KC 135 blew up mid air over the Stans a few weeks ago?
How's the RTS going?
Where will the RJ be delivered to? Waddo bolt hole soon?
How's the RTS going?
Where will the RJ be delivered to? Waddo bolt hole soon?
Beags,
We don't need to AAR our C-17's. We do fine without. Even with our own Sim, the proposed Trg burden is beyond our current and forecast resourced funding. Personally I'd love to do it. There's just no appetite to pay for it.
We don't need to AAR our C-17's. We do fine without. Even with our own Sim, the proposed Trg burden is beyond our current and forecast resourced funding. Personally I'd love to do it. There's just no appetite to pay for it.
TorqueOfTheDevil wrote
Have they been sitting in the desert for 30 years?
ZZ664 Boeing RC-135W (64-14833)
Here is 64-14833 pictured operational with the USAF during May 2009.
Photos: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (717-148) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
ZZ665 Boeing RC-135W (64-14838)
Here is 64-14838 pictured operational with the USAF during November 2011
Photos: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (717-148) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
ZZ666 Boeing RC-135W (64-14830)
Here is 64-14830 pictured operational with the USAF during April 2013
Photos: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (717-148) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Serials from
http://www.militaryaircraftmarkings....ate68-2011.pdf
As in, first flight since refurb and 30 years sat gathering dust in the desert?
ZZ664 Boeing RC-135W (64-14833)
Here is 64-14833 pictured operational with the USAF during May 2009.
Photos: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (717-148) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
ZZ665 Boeing RC-135W (64-14838)
Here is 64-14838 pictured operational with the USAF during November 2011
Photos: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (717-148) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
ZZ666 Boeing RC-135W (64-14830)
Here is 64-14830 pictured operational with the USAF during April 2013
Photos: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (717-148) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Serials from
http://www.militaryaircraftmarkings....ate68-2011.pdf
Last edited by TEEEJ; 31st Jul 2013 at 18:21. Reason: Messed up links
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Mos Eisley
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ZZ664 Boeing RC-135W (64-14833)
Here is 64-14833 pictured operational
with the USAF during May 2009.
Photos: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (717-148)
Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
ZZ665 Boeing RC-135W (64-14838)
Here is 64-14838 pictured operational with the USAF during November
2011
Photos: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (717-148)
Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
ZZ666 Boeing RC-135W
(64-14830)
Here is 64-14830 pictured operational with the USAF during
April 2013
Photos: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (717-148)
Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Crew Door
Great pictures Oaf. One question from me - Will the formation eating team have to enter though the crew door in front of the nose wheel? I assume the large cargo door is panelled over to mount that sideways looking thingy. We used to have a devils own job to get some of the racks into the Nimrod. how do they manage on this thing? I guess that Astral Box is now smaller than a match box!
Drag
Drag
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Originally Posted by OafOrfUxAche
Ah, so they are war-weary?
-RP
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RAF RC-135 conversions
Please look up some accurate facts, guys.
The three KCs being converted are in the last ten KC-135 built and NONE have been "stored" in the desert. The last KC is 64-14840.
The very last -135s are all RCs:
RC-135V: 64-14841 to14846 and 14848
RC-135U: 64-14847 and 14849.
14849 is the last -135 of any model.
All the RCs were originally RC-135Cs when initially built and began service flying around 1967, replacing the RB-47Hs in the SIGINT reconnaissance role.
The KC-135s have considerably less airframe hours than many RC-135s. The three RAF aircraft will be the low-time members of the Rivet Joint fleet as some of the RC-135Ws now have over 50,000 total airframe hours. (The -Ws were originally RC-135Ms and built up tremendous hours during the Vietnam war flying 18-hr COMBAT APPLE missions off the N Vietnam coast.)
None of this has anything to do with the viability of the airframe as modifications by Boeing (wing re-skins in the '70s and '80s) and L-3 (previously E-Systems and Raytheon) at Greenville have kept these jets in very good condition. Age of a modern airframe means very little, unless there is an original flaw which finally manifests itself. Given the size of the -135 fleet any such issue has surfaced already, unlike the Nimrod problems (given the small fleet and added systems problems - A/R).
If anything, the Nimrods displayed considerably more issues due to age of design and airframe than has the -135.
The three KCs being converted are in the last ten KC-135 built and NONE have been "stored" in the desert. The last KC is 64-14840.
The very last -135s are all RCs:
RC-135V: 64-14841 to14846 and 14848
RC-135U: 64-14847 and 14849.
14849 is the last -135 of any model.
All the RCs were originally RC-135Cs when initially built and began service flying around 1967, replacing the RB-47Hs in the SIGINT reconnaissance role.
The KC-135s have considerably less airframe hours than many RC-135s. The three RAF aircraft will be the low-time members of the Rivet Joint fleet as some of the RC-135Ws now have over 50,000 total airframe hours. (The -Ws were originally RC-135Ms and built up tremendous hours during the Vietnam war flying 18-hr COMBAT APPLE missions off the N Vietnam coast.)
None of this has anything to do with the viability of the airframe as modifications by Boeing (wing re-skins in the '70s and '80s) and L-3 (previously E-Systems and Raytheon) at Greenville have kept these jets in very good condition. Age of a modern airframe means very little, unless there is an original flaw which finally manifests itself. Given the size of the -135 fleet any such issue has surfaced already, unlike the Nimrod problems (given the small fleet and added systems problems - A/R).
If anything, the Nimrods displayed considerably more issues due to age of design and airframe than has the -135.
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Cargo Door Operates As Usual
Any search for RC-135 photos will probably show the fuselage cargo door opens as usual. The cheek fairing is attached to the door itself. There is a solid panel insert "weather door" with an approx. 36in sliding door, through which you enter.
If equipment needs to be removed/installed then the weather door panel can be removed.
The crew entry door is used for last minute entry, especially if the engines are running. Kept open, with ladder installed, until just prior to taxi.
If equipment needs to be removed/installed then the weather door panel can be removed.
The crew entry door is used for last minute entry, especially if the engines are running. Kept open, with ladder installed, until just prior to taxi.
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The 64 prefix means the aircraft was ordered that year; delivery year could be very different.
