John Bingham wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2020 9:50 pm I never realized planes that size were used for refueling. I thought they were all huge transport aircraft.

Yeah, in the Navy all the planes have to fit on the aircraft carrier, so they'll take an existing airframe and just sling drop tanks on it and set it up with a drogue and away you go.

Aerial refuelers are very critical to naval aviation. There are periods during a cruise when a carrier is conducting "blue water ops" which means that even with aerial refueling, land is too far away for the jets to reach, should there be a problem.

So a pilots prowess at plugging into the tanker is very important and they have to be able to 'trap' back aboard the carrier as well or else they have to eject near the carrier and get picked up by the helo.

In my opinion, Navy pilots are the Ivy League of military pilots

Freightdog wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2020 9:58 pm For an interesting read, google/youtube the refuelling strategy employed with Black Buck, to get the Vulcan to the falklands in ‘82. Talk about commitment!

I watched a documentary about that...........fucking awesome!!!!!!!

Balls of steel on those British lads!

Beriev Be-12, amphibious plane still in use today.

Brody wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 10:49 am Beriev Be-12, amphibious plane still in use today.

If there were a plane deserving of the nickname "Mosquito"...

North American X-15(fastest rocket powered manned airplane) landing

British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2