KC-135 Boom Operator Panel

Boom operator’s panel

Here is a picture of the boom operator’s panel of the KC-135 stratotanker.

• The gauges at the top indicate the position of the air refueling boom. The green arcs represent the air refueling envelope that the receiver aircraft must remain inside of. The red markings on the gauges are the limits of the air refueling envelope. If the receiver exceeds these limits and the tanker’s signal system is in NORMAL, then an automatic disconnect will occur.
• The boom signal coil voltmeter on the right of the panel shows the status of the boom nozzle signal coil when the PUSH TO TEST button is pressed. The voltmeter displays OPEN, GOOD, and SHORTED.
• The TEST CONTACT button advances the signal system to CONTACT when pressed if the signal amplifier is operational.
• The RESET READY button resets the signal system to READY.
• The blue, green, and orange lights display the current status of the air refueling signal system. The blue READY light indicates the system is ready for contact with a receiver. The green CONTACT light indicates that the boom is in contact with a receiver and that fuel transfer can occur. The orange DISCONNECT light indicates that a disconnect signal has been received.
• The TLSCP AT DISCONNECT (telescope at disconnect) switch selects if the boom will automatically retract when a disconnect signal is received. It has two positions AUTO, and MANUAL.
• The PILOT DIRECTOR LIGHTS are controlled by four rheostats for the background elevation & letters and telescope and for the position elevation and telescope pilot director lights.
• The NACELLE ILLUMINATION rheostats control the brightness of the engine illumination lights.
• The A/R FlOODLIGHT rheostat controls the brightness of the tail mounted air refueling floodlight.
• The BOOM NOZZLE rheostat controls the brightness of the boom mounted nozzle light that shines light on the boom nozzle.
• The UNDER BODY rheostat controls the brightness of lights mounted on the inboard side of the inboard engine struts that illuminate the under body of the aircraft to help with night air refueling.
• The UNDER WING rheostat controls the brightness of lights mounted on the underside of the aft fuselage that illuminage the underside of the wings.
• The BOOM MARKER controls turn on ultraviolet fluorescent tube lights mounted in the boom that cause fluorescent markings on the boom to glow for night air refueling. The ON/OFF switch controls power to the lights and the START positions of the start switch each turn on one of the two fluorescent lights. The neon lights indicate the status of the marker lights.
• The DIRECTOR LIGHTS GROUND TEST switch is used to turn on all pilot director lights at once for maintenance testing.

 

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Air Refueling the A-12 and SR-71 Blackbird

Here are a bunch of pictures of aerial refueling with the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and A-12 Oxcart. Feel free to leave comments below about your experiences and as always, please email me your pictures at the email address listed to the right. 

SR-71A #61-7952 during the first ever in-flight refuelling of an SR-71, on 29April1965. Lockheed photo via Tony Landis

KC-135 Refueling SR-71 Blackbird at sunset.

ca. 1991, NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA — NASA’s triple-sonic SR-71B experimental reconnaisance jet flies up to the refueling probe from an aerial tanker near Edwards Air Force Base, California. 1991. — Image by © CORBIS

KC-135 refueling M-21 with GTD-21 Drone.

Close up view from the Boom Pod while refueling a SR-71 Blackbird.

Post AR with an SR-71.

A left side view of an SR-71 aircraft moving toward a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft for inflight refueling. The SR-71 is from the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing.

Lockheed SR-71 in flight refueling. SR-71A (S/N 61-7952) refuels from KC-135A (S/N 58-0094). (U.S. Air Force photo)

 

Image Source:

Various

Boom Operator Memorial – Altus AFB, OK

Click for a 50 Megapixel image

This memorial is a lasting tribute to those who gave the last full measure of devotion that freedom might survive lost in the steadfast performance of duty they, their crews, and families have the gratitude of an eternally thankful nation. It is with solemn pride and a heavy heart that we acknowledge these who have laid so costly an offering upon the altar of freedom and ensured we shall never forget their sacrifice.

Boom Memorial Names

KB-29 SUPERFORTRESS
7-Jul-51	TSGT HENRY H. HILL
7-Jul-51	1LT JACK W. KERN
7-Jul-51	CPL REGINALD F. RUSSELL
7-Jul-51	SSGT SCOTT L. WALLACE
10-Jul-53	SGT WALTER F. OLSEN
26-Dec-56	TSGT THURMAN RANIER
10-Jan-57	TSGT EDWARD C. CLEMONS
10-Jan-57	SSGT MICHAEL B. MCINTOSH
2-Feb-57	MSGT LAWRENCE M. GRIGORY
2-Feb-57	A2C ARTHUR B. KOSIER
2-Feb-57	A3C FRANKLIN D. SCHWEIGERT
KB-50 SUPERFORTRESS
13-Mar-57	A2C ROBERT E. CRAIG
13-Mar-57	A2C BILLY B. ROSE
8-May-57	SSGT THOMAS E. O’CONNOR
8-May-57	A3C DONALD E. COSPER
13-Aug-58	A2C FRANCIS C. HERMANCE, JR.
13-Aug-58	SSGT NORBERT T. KNULTY
22-Jan-59	A2C IGNACIO W. SANCHEZ
22-Jan-59	TSGT WAYNE M. SOUDER
4-Aug-59	A2C THOMAS M. PAYTON
18-Oct-60	SSGT HARDIN A. BAILEY
18-Oct-60	A2C THOMAS J. LANE
18-Oct-60	A3C MICHAEL W. MILLER
5-Mar-61	SSGT HAROLD D. MEEUSEN
5-Mar-61	A2C CLIFTON C. TABOR
8-Jan-62	A2C PAUL M. CLAWSON
8-Jan-62	A2C CARLTON A. LINK
8-Jan-62	SSGT BILLIE D. MOORE
9-Feb-62	A1C GUY L. POWELL
9-Feb-62	A2C RALPH E. REUTZEL
20-Dec-62	SSGT ROBERT T. CRAIG
20-Dec-62	SSGT JAMES R. HAYES
13-Aug-64	SSGT WALTER B. HICKMAN, JR.
13-Aug-64	SSGT CAREY A. LIVINGSTON
KC-97 STRATOFREIGHTER
9-Nov-51	SGT JAMES A. MAINS
27-Jun-54	A1C DAVID ARAMBULA
27-Jun-54	SSGT ROBERT O. GONZALES
27-Jun-54	SSGT VINCENT PROVENZANO
23-Feb-55	SSGT ROBERT E. ROSENCRANCE
23-Feb-55	A2C CHARLES J. SITFA
4-May-55	A1C MARVIN R. DEVRIES
4-May-55	A1C JOSEPH L. PRIDGEN
13-Jul-55	SSGT GEORGE R. MIGNOSA
13-Jul-55	SSGT MARVIN F. RUSK
25-Apr-56	SSGT DONALD S. DELPRIORE
25-Apr-56	A2C JURI E. JOONAS
25-Apr-56	SSGT KENNETH E. VANPATTON
26-Jun-56	TSGT BARDEL A. CRUM
26-Jun-56	SSGT ROBERT L. WALLACE
6-Jul-56	A2C WILLIAM L. FALCONER
22-Jan-57	SSGT JOEL V. BLACKWELL
22-Jan-57	SSGT RAYMOND E. NOAH
18-Jul-57	SSGT JACKIE J. JAMERSON
29-Oct-57	TSGT RONALD E. RUBLE
12-Nov-58	MSGT CURTIS W. KING
12-Nov-58	A2C JOHN M. SCSERBAK
22-Jul-59	TSGT JAKE SCHMIDT
30-Mar-60	SSGT SHIRLEY D. RENNER
27-Jun-60	TSGT ROBERT P. COSTELLO
28-Feb-61	SSGT ERNEST J. LEMOINE
5-Nov-64	SSGT GERALD W. SHULTZ
19-Dec-64	TSGT JAMES R. BILL
KC-135 SRATOTANKER
27-Jun-58	MSGT DONALD H. GABBARD
25-Nov-58	TSGT RONALD L. CHAMPION
31-Mar-59	TSGT HERMAN A. CLARK
15-Oct-59	SSGT PAUL R. THOMASSON
3-Feb-60	SSGT GEORGE W. SHORT
9-May-62	SSGT WALLACE R. ADAMS
10-Sep-62	TSGT JOHN L. DUNCAN
10-Sep-62	TSGT KENNETH A. QUINN
27-Feb-63	TSGT DANIEL C. CAMERON
21-Jun-63	MSGT DANIEL F. DONAHUE
28-Aug-63	MSGT CARL H. BURRIS
28-Aug-63	TSGT RAY L. FISH
8-Jul-64	SSGT ROBERT L. GRAVES
4-Jan-65	SSGT JIMMY TARDIE
16-Jan-65	SSGT REGINALD R. WENT
26-Feb-65	MSGT CAREY W. ADDISON JR.
3-Jun-65	TSGT LESTER M. ALLSOP
17-Jan-66	MSGT LLOYD POTOLICCHIO
17-May-66	TSGT HARRY L. ALEXANDER
19-May-66	SSGT CHARLES E. STUART
19-Jan-67	MSGT ORVILLE MONTGOMERY
17-Jan-68	TSGT CHARLES C. CHAPLIN
30-Jul-68	SGT CHARLES A. OLVIS JR.
30-Jul-68	SSGT HURSCHEL D. PRIDDY
2-Oct-68	TSGT EARL B. ESTEP JR.
22-Oct-68	SMSGT HOWARD B. BENGE
19-Dec-69	SMSGT HOWARD G. BENFORD
3-Jun-71	SSGT RICHARD D. ROUSHER
13-Jun-71	TSGT HUBERT MILES JR.
13-Mar-72	SGT BRUCE J. KLAVERKAMP
25-Mar-75	SMSGT JACKIE V. EGBERT
7-Dec-75	SGT DAVID M. WANDEL
6-Feb-76	SSGT LLOYD D. BAKER
26-Sep-76	TSGT GARY L. CARLSON
19-Sep-79	SMSGT ALBERT L. EVANS
13-Mar-82	TSGT DONALD J. PLOUGH
19-Mar-82	MSGT RICHARD A. CROME
27-Aug-85	TSGT CLAUDE F. ARDEN
27-Aug-85	SSGT DESIREE LOY
17-Jun-86	SSGT QUINN L. DEWITT
13-Mar-87	SSGT RODNEY S. ERKS
13-Mar-87	SMSGT PAUL W. HAMILTON
11-Oct-88	A1C ROBERT L. PARHAM
20-Nov-88	MSGT JAMES L. BORLAND
31-Jan-89	CAPT ROBERT LEWELLYN
31-Jan-89	SSGT DAVID VICKERS
20-Sep-89	MSGT CHERYL HELGERMAN
20-Sep-89	MSGT WILLIAM J. MALICO
4-Oct-89	A1C JACK D. CUPP
19-Nov-97	MSGT ROBERT “TUG” MCGRAW
13-Jan-99	TSGT RICHARD D. VISINTAINER
ADDED SINCE BOOM MEMORIAL DEDICATION
KC-97 STRATOFREIGHTER
27-Aug-56	A1C WILLIAM R. DENNIE Jr.
27-Aug-56	A3C RICHARD A. RIDLON
ADDED SINCE BOOM MEMORIAL DEDICATION
KB-29 SUPERFORTRESS
8-Apr-54	A2C FREDERICK L. MARSHALL
8-Apr-54	A2C WAYNE D. WHITSELL

F-16XL Air Refueling Pictures

Here are some pictures of an F-16XL refueling from a KC-135. These pictures are quite rare and it took me a very long time to track them down.

F-16XL Behind a KC-135.

F-16XL refueling from a KC-135.

F-16XL refueling from a KC-135.

F-16XL refueling from a KC-135.

Image Sources:

http://kr.blog.yahoo.com/shinecommerce/6901.html?p=1&t=3

http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/Photo/F-16XL2/HTML/EC96-43811-2.html

History of Refueling

Great documentary about Air Refueling that aired on the Military Channel.

50 Years Of The KC-135

Excellent documentary on the KC-135 Stratotanker including details on the tri-level refueling that earned the 1967 Mackay Trophy. Also included is a first hand account of towing a crippled F-4 Phantom. This mission received the 1983 Mackay Trophy.

Video Source:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehPg2aDJot4

Convair UC-880 Tanker

A US Navy Convair UC-880 refueling an F-14

An air-to-air left side view of a UC-880 Convair aircraft assigned to the Naval Air Test Center, Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, refueling a TA-4J Skyhawk aircraft.

A Convair UC-880 aircraft, the only such aircraft in U.S. Navy service, refuels an F/A-18A Hornet aircraft. The Convair is assigned to Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, and is employed in Tomahawk cruise missile testing and refueling aircraft procedures.

The United States Navy purchased one 880 which was modified as an in-flight tanker. Unofficially designated UC-880, it was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, and employed in Tomahawk cruise missile testing and aircraft refueling procedures. The UC-880 was destroyed in a cargo hold explosion test at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland in 1995.

Image Source:

http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/DVIC_View/Still_Details.cfm?SDAN=DNST9210041&JPGPath=/Assets/Still/1992/Navy/DN-ST-92-10041.JPG

http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/DVIC_View/Still_Details.cfm?SDAN=DNSC8611792&JPGPath=/Assets/Still/1986/Navy/DN-SC-86-11792.JPG

http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/DVIC_View/Still_Details.cfm?SDAN=DNSC9210044&JPGPath=/Assets/Still/1992/Navy/DN-SC-92-10044.JPG

KC-135: History of Destroyed Aircraft

If anybody has information on these crashes, please use the comments below as a forum to add your inputs.

Below is a table that shows all destroyed -135 aircraft. The list includes KC-135, RC-135, and EC-135 aircraft. Even a brief look at this listing shows that flying the KC-135 and similar aircraft was anything but safe. Since the R model conversion the safety record has been on par with that of any modern airliner.

Date	Tail Number	KC-135 Model	Base	Summary of Events
27-Jun-58	56-3599	A	Westover	Heavy weight on takeoff, crashed one mile beyond runway
24-Nov-58	56-3598	A	Loring	Crosswind takeoff, lost No. 4 engine, lost control
21-Mar-59	58-0002	A	Bergstrom	Flew through thunderstorm, experienced structural failure
22-Jun-59	57-1446	A	Walker	Main fuel tank explosion on ramp (maintenance)
15-Oct-59	57-1513	A	Columbus	In-flight collision with B-52
3-Feb-60	56-3628	A	Walker	Gusty wind during takeoff, lost control, went off runway and crashed into 57-1449 and 57-1457 on ramp and a hanger, all three burned
3-Feb-60	57-1449	A	Walker
3-Feb-60	57-1457	A	Walker
8-Mar-60	57-1466	A	Carswell	Fog, aircraft landed on nm short, hit a power line and a building
18-Nov-60	56-3605	A	Loring	Hard landing, broke nose gear off, caused fuel fire
25-Jan-62	56-3657	A	Altus	Starter explosion during engine start, caused fuel fire
9-May-62	56-3613	A	Loring	Heavy weight takeoff, No. 2 engine failed, crashed 2500 feet beyond end of runway
8-Aug-62	55-3144	A	Wright-Patterson	Landed 2700 feet short of runway
10-Sep-62	60-0352	A	Ellsworth	Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) at Mt. Kit Carson near Fairchild AFB, WA
23-Oct-62	62-4136	B	McGuire	Landed 1000 feet short of runway in right bank at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
27-Feb-63	56-3597	A	Castle	Lost No. 1 engine during takeoff at Eielson, low visibility, night time
21-Jun-63	57-1498	A	Westover	Controlled flight into terrain; struck 790-foot hill, 5 nm short and 1 nm left of runway
28-Aug-63	61-0319	A	Homestead	In-flight collision with another KC-135 (Tail No. 61-0322) over Atlantic Ocean
28-Aug-63	61-0322	A	Homestead	In-flight collision with another KC-135 (Tail No. 61-0319) over Atlantic Ocean
11-May-64	60-0332	B	Travis	Hit a tower, 3500 feet short of runway, in heavy rain
8-Jul-64	60-0340	A	Larson	In-flight collision with F-105 during aerial refueling
4-Jan-65	61-0265	A	Loring	Lost No. 3 and No. 4 engines during takeoff, crashed 12,000 feet past runway
16-Jan-65	57-1442	A	Clinton-Sherman	Suspected hard-over rudder at Wichita
26-Feb-65	63-8882	A	Dow	In-flight collision with B-47, clear weather, over North Atlantic
3-Jun-65	63-8042	A	Walker	Controlled flight into terrain on low approach, in blowing sand storm
25-Jun-65	60-0373	A	McGuire	Controlled flight into terrain, night takeoff at El Toro, hit hills four miles beyond runway
17-Jan-66	61-0273	A	Seymour Johnson	In-flight collision with a B-52. Famous loss of nuclear weapons of Spanish coast.
17-May-66	57-1424	A	Amarillo	Wind rock during landing, lost control
19-May-66	57-1444	A	Kadena	Crashed during takeoff, performance problem, possibly windshear
19-Jan-67	56-3616	A	Fairchild	Controlled flight into terrain; hit Shadow Mountain during landing to base
19-Apr-67	55-3140	A	Castle	Destroyed during maintenance at Wake Island, right main gear failure
17-Jul-67	58-1465	R (rec)	Offutt	Stalled during takeoff, high rotation, in clear weather
17-Jan-68	58-0026	A	March	Crashed during takeoff in poor weather at Minot
30-Jul-68	56-3655	A	Castle	Structural failure during Dutch roll demonstration
24-Sep-68	55-3133	A	Loring	Three-engine go-around, forgot speed brakes, landed short
2-Oct-68	55-3138	A	Robins	Takeoff aborted after nose tires blew, went off runway at U-Tapoa
22-Oct-68	61-0301	A	Westover	Controlled flight into terrain; contact lost near CCK Taiwan
13-Jan-69	59-1491	RC/S	Eielson	Landing; lost control on icy runway in snow, at night
25-Mar-69	56-3602	A	Loring	Takeoff; aborted after S-1 following loss of water injection, broke apart
5-Jun-69	62-4137	RC/E	Eielson	Unknown cause; in-flight vibration reported, lost contact
19-Dec-69	56-3629	A	Ellsworth	Structural failure; lost contact, CCK Taiwan
3-Jun-71	58-0039	Q	Torrejon	Crashed following in-flight explosion of the nr. 1 main fuel tank. Chafing of boost pump wires in conduits was determined to be as a possible ignition source.
31 June 1971	61-0331	B	Wright-Patterson	Cause unknown; lost over Pacific Ocean
13-Mar-72	58-0048	A	Carswell	landed short; steep, idle approach
1-Jul-72	63-8473	F	French AF	Takeoff; lost No. 3 engine initially, then No. 4 later
8-Mar-73	63-7989	A	Lockbourne	Collided with another KC-135 (Tail No. 63-7980) during alert exercise
5-Mar-74	57-1500	A	McConnell	Crashed on takeoff; applied wrong rudder
8-Dec-75	60-0354	A	Eielson	Extreme cold weather; gear problem, stalled
6-Feb-76	60-0368	A	K.I. Sawyer	Crashed during approach into Torrejon
26-Sep-76	61-0296	A	K.I. Sawyer	Crashed near Alpena, Michigan
4-Mar-77	62-3522	A	Griffiss	Engine fire during maintenance
29-Apr-77	58-0101	A	Castle	Hit cattle on runway during touch-and-go at Beale
14-Sep-77	62-3536	EC/K	Kirtland	Controlled flight into terrain; after takeoff, hit mountain
19-Sep-79	58-0127	A	Castle	Flight instructor simulated engine failure on runway, lost control
30-Jan-80	58-0007	EC/P	Langley	Burned on ramp during heating of water
8-Feb-80	60-0338	Q	Plattsburg	Burned on ramp; aft body fire during refueling
15-Mar-81	61-2664	RC/S	Eielson	Landed short at Shemya, sheared off landing gear
6-May-81	61-0328	EC/N	Wright-Patterson	Runaway trim, rapidly lost altitude, Maryland
13-Mar-82	57-1489	A	Arizona ANG	In-flight collision with light aircraft during approach
19-Mar-82	58-0031	A	Illinois ANG	Exploded at 13,500 feet on approach to O’Hare
25-Feb-85	55-3121	RC/T	Offutt	Controlled flight into terrain; struck mountain near Valdez, Alaska during approach
19-Mar-85	61-0316	A	Barksdale	Burned on ramp in Cairo during refueling
27-Aug-85	59-1443	A	Castle	Hard landing, engine fire, stalled in turn
17-Jun-86	63-7983	A	Grissom	Hit the runway at Howard AB Panama, became airborne again and crashed into a hill in the jungle.
13-FEB-87	60-0330	A	Altus	Landed on the runway at altus afb on fire, cause was an arc in the fuel vapor area due to a compromised coax from the HF radio, aircraft subsequently burned to the ground in the infield after it rolled off the runway
13-Mar-87	60-0361	A	Fairchild	Airshow practice, hit wake turbulence, lost control
11-Oct-88	60-0317	A	Wurtsmith	Crashed on landing
31-Jan-89	63-7990	A	K.I. Sawyer	High crosswind, performance loss, lost control
21-Sep-89	57-1481	E	Eielson	Burned on ramp at Eielson
4-Oct-89	56-3592	A	Loring	In-flight explosion (aft body tank) during approach
11-Jan-90	59-1494	E	Pease	Burned on ramp at Pease (Video)
29-May-92	62-3584	EC/C	Eielson	On landing; ran off end of runway at Pope
10-Dec-93	57-1470	R	Wisconsin ANG	Burned on ramp; center wing explosion
13-Jan-99	59-1452	E	Washington ANG	Runaway trim in flare, nose up, stalled
26-Sep-06	63-8886	R	Fairchild	Struck on runway by departing aircraft at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan.
3-May-13	63-8877	R	McConnell	In-flight breakup over Kyrgyzstan due to malfunctioning rudder power control unit.

Northrop YF-23 – In-Flight Refueling

A Northrop YF-23 inches toward the boom of a KC-135 during the Advanced Tactical Fighter test program. Click image to enlarge.

Design and development

The YF-22 and YF-23 were competing in the USAF’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, conceived in the early 1980s, to provide a replacement for the F-15 Eagle. Contracts for the two most promising designs were awarded in 1986.

The YF-23 was designed to meet USAF requirements for survivability, supersonic cruise (supercruise), stealth, and ease of maintenance. Designed with all-aspect stealth as a high priority, Northrop drew on the company’s experience with the B-2 Spirit and F/A-18 Hornet. The YF-23 was an unconventional-looking aircraft with trapezoidal wings, substantial area-ruling, and a V-tail. It introduced the novel feature of rear jet nozzle troughs lined with heat ablating tiles developed by Allison, which shielded the exhaust from infrared (IR) detection from below. All the control surfaces were coupled together via the Vehicle Management System to provide “net effect” aerodynamic control. The wing flaps and ailerons deflected inversely on either side to provide yaw, while the tail provided pitch. Aerodynamic braking was achieved by deflecting the flaps and ailerons on both sides simultaneously.

Although possessing an advanced design, in order to reduce costs and development, a number of F-15 Eagle components were utilized including the standard F-15 nose wheel unit and the forward cockpit of the F-15E Strike Eagle. Two aircraft were built. YF-23 #1 (PAV-1) was fitted with Pratt & Whitney YF119 engines, while YF-23 #2 (PAV-2) was fitted with General Electric YF120 engines. The YF-23 featured fixed nozzles. The first YF-23 was rolled out on 22 June 1990, and first flew on 27 August 1990. YF-23 #2 first flew on 26 October 1990.

The black YF-23 (PAV-1) was nicknamed “Black Widow II”, after the Northrop P-61 Black Widow of World War II and had a red hourglass marking resembling the underbelly marking of the black widow spider. The black widow marking was briefly seen under PAV-1 before being removed at the insistence of Northrop management. The gray colored YF-23 (PAV-2) was nicknamed “Gray Ghost”.

Operational history

Evaluation

Both YF-23s were furnished in the configuration specified before the requirement for thrust reversing was dropped. The weapons bay was configured for weapons launch but no missiles were fired, unlike Lockheed’s demonstration aircraft. The YF-23s flew 50 times for a total of 65.2 hours. The YF-22 achieved Mach 1.58 in supercruise. The first YF-23 with P&W engines supercruised at Mach 1.43 on 18 September 1990 and the second YF-23 with GE engines reached Mach 1.6 on 29 November 1990. The flight testing demonstrated Northrop’s predicted performance values for the YF-23.

The YF-22 won the competition in April 1991. The YF-23 design was more stealthy and faster, but the YF-22 was more agile. It has been speculated in the aviation press that the YF-22 was also seen as more adaptable to the Navy’s Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), though as it turned out the US Navy abandoned NATF a few months later.

After losing the competition, both YF-23 prototypes were transferred from Northrop to NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, at Edwards AFB, California. The engines were removed. NASA had no plans to perform flight tests with the airframes, but a proposal was put forward to use one of the two aircraft to study strain gauge loads calibration techniques. The possible production configuration of the F-23A has never been publicly revealed.

Source:

• Northrop YF-23. (2009, May 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:11, May 28, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northrop_YF-23&oldid=289774104

Image Source:

• http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/060810-F-1234S-006.jpg

Sargent Fletcher ART/S Pod – F-16 VISTA

This F-16 is fitted with a Sargent Fletcher 370-Gallon Aerial Refueling Tank/System that allows the aircraft to refuel from drogue equipped tankers. Click image to enlarge.

In this picture a Sargent Fletcher Aerial Refueling Tank/System (ART/S) pod is attached to an F-16 VISTA.

This unique concept is the product of the vast Sargent Fletcher experience in External Fuel Tank and Probe/Drogue Aerial Refueling systems design. The Sargent Fletcher 370-Gallon wing tank is modified to accept a retractable probe that will permit a F-16 aircraft to receive fuel from a Probe/Drogue-equipped tanker. A proof of concept flight test was conducted to verify the compatibility of the design to the hoop-up loads. No fuel was transferred in this test. Instrumentation was installed to measure loads, deflection, and stiffness. The test confirmed the loads placed on the probe and the ease of hook-up including the compatibility of the system to several different tankers.

VISTA with ARTSA later test was conducted with the ART/S® installed on the specially configured F-16 Variable Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA). The VISTA test flights confirmed that the ART/S® was compatible with various aircraft computer programs. When a F-16, and many other aircraft in the USAF inventory, is equipped with an ART/S®, it can receive fuel, not only from the boom/receptacle tankers, but also from any tanker in the worldwide fleet.

Click image to enlarge.

The Lockheed Martin F-16 VISTA (“Variable stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft”) program, which ran from 1988 to 1997, began as a privately funded joint venture between General Electric and General Dynamics, to produce a Multi-Axis Thrust-Vectoring (MATV) variant of the Fighting Falcon.

The F-16 VISTA testbed aircraft incorporated a multi-axis thrust vectoring (MATV) engine nozzle that provides for more active control of the aircraft in a post-stall situation. The resulting aircraft is supermaneuverable, retaining pitch and yaw control at angles of attack beyond which the traditional control surfaces cannot change attitude.

The VISTA program was considered successful, but the thrust vector control (TVC) never made it into production fighter versions.

The program was also notable for the development of Direct Voice Input and the “Virtual HUD”, which were both eventually to be incorporated into the cockpit design for the F-35 Lightning II. The STOVL F-35 variants also incorporate MATV while hovering to provide attitude control.

The Sargent Fletcher ART/S Pod features a retractible refueling probe. Click image to enlarge.

Characteristic	Model 27-370
Diameter	27 Inches
Capacity	340 U.S. Gallons
Aircraft	F-16, etc.
Mounting	Wing Pylon, 30-Inch Suspension Lugs
Tank Length	213.83 Inches
Overall Length	297.83 Inches
Operating Pressure	3 to 40 Pounds per Square Inch
Special Feature	Equipped with Fully-Retractable, Aerial Refueling Probe

Sources:

• F-16 VISTA. (2009, May 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:38, May 12, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=F-16_VISTA&oldid=287499801
• http://www.sargentfletcher.com/ars.htm
• Sargent Fletcher Aerial Refueling Tank/System Information Flyer (PDF)
  

Image Source:

• http://www.sargentfletcher.com/ars.htm