Tanker

Origin

The supply makes it possible to increase the autonomy of the planes, and is particularly useful for the small planes like the hunters: indeed, for simple geometrical ratios, a small plane is penalized more by the weight of its structure and aerodynamics, and cannot thus have same autonomy as a plane of big size.

History

The first in-flight refueling of the History with commancé by the temerity of some Stuntman S when the November 21st 1921, above the coasts of the California, a man passes from a biplane to another with a can of 20 liters fuel and will pour its contents in the tank of the plane which it acceuille.

In the years 1920, the first tests of supply of plane plane take place, however it acted more than one exercise " sportif" intended to establish records that of an operational procedure. The exercise consisted in launching a pipe that the pilot of the plane to be supplied introduced him even into the normal opening of supply of his plane. It was thus about a relatively dangerous operation. In 1923, a British biplane DH-4B flew during 37 hours of sharp thanks to several repetitions of this operation.

In 1935, the brothers Key invent a surer process, current ancestor of the systems.

The supply with the flight was at the point in 1940, but curiously, none the belligerents were useful about it. However, it would have made it possible to solve one of the biggest problems of the allied forces: the absence of hunters having a sufficient lengthening-piece to escort the strategic bombers in their missions.

Another solution with this problem was considered at the end of the war, in the form of hunters " parasite" , as the XF-85 Goblin carried by a bomber B-36 which was tested in flight in 1948. But at this time, the military decision makers thought finally of in-flight refueling as solution much surer.

Historical examples

In 1949, several in-flight refueling made it possible a Boeing B-50 Superfortress to carry out the first round the world tour in continuous flight of a plane. At that time, in-flight refueling is accepted by the Staffs as a vital solution, in the context of the Cold war, for the strategic bombers.

In June 1967, two helicopters HH-3E Jolly Green Giant of the US Air Force crossed the Altantique of New York to Paris without stopover. For that, 9 in-flight refueling starting from C-130 Hercules took place has the altitudes ranging between 500 and 3000 feet. The voyage all the same lasted more than 30 hours.

The most impressive scenario of in-flight refueling was undoubtedly that of the English fighter-bombers during the conflict of the Falklands. Not laying out basic between England and the islands Falklands, they crossed the totality of the distance while being ravitalliant twice in progress near supply craft which turned on the zones of supply in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The supply today

In-flight refueling is a need for the very long flights related to certain missions:

increase in the operating range, for example to allow:

with fighter plans to join a theater of operation at long distance
with strategic bombers to reach their target.

the maintenance in flight of certain planes to the hostile tops of territories (patrol or missions of electronic intelligence for example).
the convoying from one continent to another.

Techniques of the supply

Two rival systems exist for the tanker, which has:

a retractable rigid pole ordered by an operator ( boom and receptacle ) coming to be embedded in a connection female of the supplied apparatus. This system is in force in the American air force.
one or more flexible tubes (rolled up in a nacelle at rest) finished by a kind of funnel stabilized aerodynamically in which the supplied plane comes to place its own pole of retractable supply. This system (called pipe and honest basket or and drug ) is used inter alia by the French Air force.

The helicopters can also be supplied with flight, certain models have for this purpose of a long pole located at bottom the fuselage and going sufficiently far in front of the apparatus to prevent that the blades of the principal rotor do not interfere with the piping of the supply craft.

Cut and type of tankers

The supply craft remains a plane of the " arrières" , which one does not ask to know to operate on rustic grounds. They can thus be derived from civil airliners, it is the great majority of the average or heavy supply craft.

The tankers can be serious very different:

large-carriers, cases more running, since they must be able to carry a great volume of fuel at a long distance, and derived:

of civil aircrafts (Boeing 707 or 767 or Airbus A310 or A330-200)
of bombers or military transport aircraft.

lighter planes, of fighter-bombers type in general, equipped with additional tanks and a system of supply.

This last possibility is in fact the only solution for the embarked planes on board Porte-avions and operating on the open sea, out of carried supply craft based with ground. Examples of this type are the Grumman A-6 Intruder (whose version specialized in this role was built, but of which the initial version is already able) or F-18 Super Hornet.

One speaks about buddy refuelling when the tanker and the supplied plane are in the same way standard.

Examples

Tankers broken down by types

Tankers broken down by country user

Here some apparatuses used or in project:

With the the United States:

KC-135 Stratotanker , an old plane of intermediate size close to the civil Boeing 707.
KC-10A , derived from Douglas civil DC-10, very great capacities.
KC-17 , as large as the KC-10 and having the capacity to operate on rustic ground.
Certaines versions of the C-130 Hercules has a limited capacity of supply.
KA-6D , version specialized of the A-6 Intruder, is a light supply craft embarked on the Porte-avions of the US Navy

In France:

12 KC-135 bought in the United States
the C-160 Transall can supply, but with a capacity very limited
In the long term a new supply craft on the basis of Airbus A330, A330 MRTT
A400M will have a certain capacity of supply

In Russia

Iliouchine 78 (derivative of the Iliouchine It-76)
Tupolev 16

In Germany

Airbus A310 MRTT
C-160 Transall

With the the United Kingdom

Tristar
VC-10
the Airbus A330 MRTT will replace these two models

In the other countries:

Nombre of States uses Boeing 707 of civil origin, reconverted for this role: Brazil, Iran, Israel, Venezuela, Australia, South Africa…
the Japan and the Italy ordered specialized Boeing 767.
the Iran uses Boeing 747, bought before the Islamic revolution. They are the largest supply craft of the world. The 747 had been considered like supply craft by the Americans, but had been considered to be too large.
the Netherlands have two DC-10 modified in the supply craft.

The current market

Boeing

Boeing is based on its important experiment in the field (KC-135 is generally regarded as the supply craft more successful ever produced).

Its principal product current is a version of the 767. It is about an honest substitute for the KC-135 (which have more than 40 years) and, even if the contract knows many adventures (cancelled by the Congress, because considered to be well too favorable to the manufacturer), he will undoubtedly end up being adopted by the US Air Force. It was already sold with the Japan and the Italy.
a supply craft based on 777 is considered like alternative solution, much heavier.

Airbus

Airbus recently managed to be essential like an credible alternative. Its leading product is called the MRTT: MultiRole Tanker To transport . It is about a modification of Airbus with broad fuselage (A310 or A330). The plane wants to be general-purpose: rather than to buy pure supply craft, which are useful very little when no military operation is in hand, the majority of the air forces prefer planes also being able to be used with strategic transport, the official trips, the medical evacuation (to repatriate casualties after an accident or an attack abroad), etc the 767 has such a versatility, but the Airbus have the advantage of a broader fuselage.

the Airbus A310 MRTT, realized starting from cells of occasion, offers a cheap solution, dimensioned well to replace the 707 being useful in many countries. It was sold with the Canada and the Germany.
the Airbus A330 MRTT is a larger plane, with a higher capacity, but much more expensive. The the United Kingdom, the Saudi Arabia and the Australia chose it. In the long term, the France should have about fifteen it.

Iliouchine

Iliouchine produces a version supply craft of the It-76, it-78. Although the design of the cell is old, this plane is now available with modern engines and has honourable performances.

The India and the China use of them and acquired recently new specimens.

An alternative: to recycle and convert civil aircrafts

Countries could choose to be addressed to any of these manufacturers, and rather to make transform airliners of occasion by third companies.

Many large transport aircrafts of first generation (Tristar, DC-10, A300, even 747-100) are now withdrawn from the air lines and available on the second-hand market at handsome price. Aeronautical companies of subcontractings can convert them into supply craft.

The disadvantages of this solution are that the planes have already many hours of flight, and will thus not be useful also a long time, and that they consume more fuel than the new apparatuses.

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