Still In Service
Watching an aircraft at altitude heading westwards I thought I'd check FR24 to see just who was heading where; the aircraft in question was a USAF KC135 leaving UK airspace for a west bound oceanic passage. The details provided by FR24 showed the aircraft ID prefixed with 61, which I take to be the year of manufacture, which makes it at least 58 years old :eek:, It has to be older than the crew flying it!
This led to me musing: is this the oldest KC135 in the fleet?, indeed, is this the oldest active aircraft in the USAF inventory? Over to you :ok: Akro |
There used to be a saying that "The last B52 pilot's father has yet to be born". I guess that also applied to the KC135. That may still be true with the delays to the KC46.
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The "61" refers to the fiscal year in which funds were allocated for the purchase of the aircraft. It might have been built a year or two later.
There are KC-135s around with earlier serials - there are 58- and 59- serials still around. There are also 4 with 57- serials based at RAF Mildenhall. |
The oldest KC-135 currently based at Mildenhall is 57-1440, which made its first flight 16 July 1958. There might be a few in the inventory even older than this.........
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The oldest aircraft in active US Air Force Service is a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker. It last flew on July 7, 2018 using the Call sign of REACH419. The registration number is 57-1419 and it was manufactured and accepted into Air Force Service in 1957. ............ :) |
Not to mention U2S 68-10337 flying out of Fairford, there a lot of very elderly airframes still doing good service.
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57-1419 first flight 29/5/58, delivered 27/6/58. As EGTE stated, the "57-" serial prefix only denotes the year the funding was approved, not the year it was built/delivered.
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So what is the oldest RAF aircraft still flying - not counting the BBMF ones of course. (Not sure if Boscombe should count either?)
Any suggestions?? |
The oldest aircraft in front line service with the RAF is probably Puma XW199 (f/f 1/1/71).
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Teeeteringhead, in terms of airframe age, presumably the RC-135s?
In terms of length of service with the RAF, Puma? |
Treadigraph, I think you'r right (I overlooked the RC-135 as their serials begin with a "Z"!). Of the three, ZZ666 is the oldest (just) being ex 64-14830 with f/f 12/10/64.
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Possibly not continuous service, but oldest RAF airframes surely must be the BBMF
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Originally Posted by Herod
(Post 10748683)
Possibly not continuous service, but oldest RAF airframes surely must be the BBMF
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Originally Posted by roger4
(Post 10748509)
The oldest aircraft in front line service with the RAF is probably Puma XW199 (f/f 1/1/71).
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not counting the BBMF ones of course. |
Mind you, what would be the oldest individual military aircraft in operational use worldwide? Surely has to be a C-47/Dakota?
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not counting the BBMF ones of course. |
Originally Posted by Herod
(Post 10748683)
Possibly not continuous service, but oldest RAF airframes surely must be the BBMF
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Mind you, what would be the oldest individual military aircraft in operational use worldwide? Surely has to be a C-47/Dakota? And again I would exclude "Historic Flights" on same grounds as BBMF, I mean aircraft doing a proper military task. |
Originally Posted by teeteringhead
(Post 10749582)
Probably a Huey of some sort; for British aircraft are any of the ex-RAF Wessex still flying in Uruguay?
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