U.S. Air Force's Air Refueling Wing Is Reporting Some Of Its Busiest Days On Record

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker – Wikipedia  

EurAsian Times: Launching Massive 10 KC-135 Tankers In A Single Day, US 171st Air Refueling Wing Reports On Of Busiest Days For Flying 

On October 25, 2022, the 171st Air Refueling Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard dispatched ten KC-135 aircraft in a single day to support several missions all over the country and globally.  

The 171st Air Refueling Wing issued the statement on January 3 via the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) website of the United States military. The wing also mentioned that it was one of the busiest days for flying at the unit on record.  

The KC-135 Stratotanker offers the primary aerial refueling capability for the United States Air Force and has played a vital role in this duty for over 60 years.  

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WNU Editor: In view of growing tensions in Europe and Asia, this is not a surprise. It is a clear indicator on how busy the US military has been in the past year.

U.S. Air Force Saves $7M On Fuel For KC-135 Stratotakers By Turning Windshield Wipers Vertical

KC-135 Stratotanker

Computational fluid dynamics analysis, conducted by Air Force Research Laboratory and Southwest Research Institute, shows the nose of a KC-135 Stratotanker, as the wiper blades are positioned horizontally, left, and vertically, right. The red indicates an area of high aerodynamic drag. U.S. Air Force

Defense World: Vertical Wiper Blades on KC-135 Tanker Reduces Aircraft Drag by 1%

A KC-135 Stratotanker with vertical wiper blades on the windshield instead of the decades-old horizontal wiper design, reduced aircraft drag by 1% in flight.

“Aerodynamics testing on the KC-135 Stratotanker confirmed vertically mounted wiper blades reduces aircraft drag by approximately 1% during cruise conditions, potentially saving the Air Force $7 million annually in associated fuel costs,” the US Air Force said in a statement on April 20.

Across the KC-135 fleet, blades are positioned horizontally on the windshield as part of the aircraft’s original 1950s design. However, as the understanding of aviation aerodynamics advanced, research indicated placing the wipers vertically when not in use could improve aerodynamic efficiency and optimize fuel use.

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Update #1: Tweak the KC-135 Stratotanker's Windshield Wipers. Save Millions. (Popular Mechanics)
Update #2: Air Force saves $7M on fuel for KC-135 by turning windshield wipers vertical (UPI)

WNU Editor: I am sure this is going to be applied on other Air Force planes, and maybe also in the private sector.

The U.S. Air Force Wants To Keep The KC-135 Refueling Tankers Flying For 100 Years

Two U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors fly next to a KC-135 Stratotanker, assigned to the 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., after conducting aerial refueling over the continental United States, Aug. 21, 2018, during the Northern Lightning 18-2 exercise. U.S. Air National Guard/ech. Sgt. Mary E. Greenwood

William Cole, Task & Purpose/The Honolulu Star-Advertiser: The Air Force Wants To Keep The KC-135 Flying For 100 Years

A smaller Air Force with aging aircraft plans to fly its KC-135 refueling tankers — eight of which are operated by the Hawaii Air National Guard at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam — for another 30 to 40 years.

The Boeing four-engine Stratotanker, similar to the 707, celebrated 50 years of flight in 2006. To put its longevity into perspective, the tankers replaced the propeller-driven KC-97, which couldn’t keep up with fighter jets and bombers.

Gen. Carlton Everhart, who stepped down as head of the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command in September, said last year that “we face serious challenges within our fleet and our Air Force.”

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WNU Editor: I can only imagine what must be involved in trying to keep a plane flying for a hundred years. The maintenance alone must be extensive, which is part of a bigger problem .... The Biggest Problems Facing Military Aviation, According To An Army Aviator (Task & Purpose).

The KC-135. Still Flying After All Of These Years

Ancient Jet Keeps The U.S. Air War Flying -- The Danger Room

SOUTHWEST ASIA (unspecified location) — At the heart of the high-tech, wired-to-the-hilt American air war in Afghanistan is a rusting plane so old-school, it predates John F. Kennedy’s term in the White House.

I’m in front of a matte-gray jet, designed to deliver gas to the rest of the American air armada as it buzzes over Central Asia and the Middle East. Every day, the KC-135 tankers here haul a million pounds of fuel. Without them, the fighter jets, bombers and airborne haulers circling above Afghanistan and Iraq would drop out of the sky. That’s a pretty heavy burden for a bunch of old-timers — this plane was built in 1960.

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My Comment: Any bets that the new Air Force version of a tanker will be over budget, hard to maintain, and will definitely not last 50 years.