Fact file: Refuelling aircraft

Fact file: Refuelling aircraft

Most long-range air strikes would not happen without in-flight refuelling.

US Navy jets have a limited range. The "combat radius" of even the latest version of the F/A-18, for instance, is only about 450 miles (720 km).

This assumes it is carrying four 1,000 lb (453 kg) bombs, the standard two Sidewinder missiles for self-defence, navigation and targeting equipment and two 480 gallon (400 imperial, 1,818 litre) external tanks.

Technical specifications
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During the war in Afghanistan targets were at least 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away from the US Navy aircraft carriers.

The F-14 and F/A-18 planes were in the air for seven or eight hours and need refuelling at least four times during every sortie.

Land-based fighter-bombers have similar limitations.

Even for the long-range bombers, refuelling is essential. A big B-52 has a nominal range of well over 8,000 miles (12,870 km) - but once it is carrying a bomb load this reduces dramatically.

So bombers flying from the United States may have to refuel several times on the way out and back.

Converted airliners

There are two main types of in-flight refuelling system in current use:

• Drogue - a hose is winched out from the tanker with a cone-shaped basket on the end. The receiving aircraft has a boom or probe which its pilot flies into the basket. Used by most air forces and by the US Navy.
• Boom - a fixed boom is lowered from the tanker then the end of it is extended into a socket on the top of the receiving aircraft. Used by the United States Air Force.

The advantage of the boom method is that the fuel line is bigger so more fuel gets transferred quickly.

The big tanker aircraft are typically converted airliners. Those on aircraft carriers are much smaller and have a limited capacity.

The US Air Force operates KC-10 Extenders and KC-135 Stratotankers. The RAF has Tristar and VC10 tankers - two industry groups are bidding for a contract to provide a replacement by the end of the decade.

KC-135 Stratotanker
Crew:	3
Main weapons:	None
Max speed (at 30,000ft):	530mph (848kph)
Length:	136ft (41.53m)
Wingspan:	130ft 10ins (39.88m)
Weight (max take-off):	322,500 pounds (146,285kg)
Range:	1,500 miles (2,419km) with fuel load, up to 11,015 miles (17,766km) on ferry mission

Source: USAF

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