nolarobert
Barksdale AFB May 2012
Developed from the Model 367-80 airliner prototype the KC-135 and 707 are two of Boeing's most famous products. The KC-135 was designed based on an Air Force requirement for a high speed jet tanker capable of refueling the then latest generation of jet fighters and bombers. The KC-97s then in use required the jets to fly at very low speeds while the tanker struggled to fly as fast as possible. The KC-135 allowed both the tanker and the receiver aircraft to fly comfortably in the middle of their flight envelopes rather than at the edges.
Barksdale AFB May 2012
Developed from the Model 367-80 airliner prototype the KC-135 and 707 are two of Boeing's most famous products. The KC-135 was designed based on an Air Force requirement for a high speed jet tanker capable of refueling the then latest generation of jet fighters and bombers. The KC-97s then in use required the jets to fly at very low speeds while the tanker struggled to fly as fast as possible. The KC-135 allowed both the tanker and the receiver aircraft to fly comfortably in the middle of their flight envelopes rather than at the edges.