A Boeing and Air Force crew successfully refueled an F/A-18 midflight this week with the under-development KC-46 tanker.

A Boeing and Air Force crew successfully refueled an F/A-18 midflight this week with the under-development KC-46 tanker.

Boeing successfully tests equipment to refuel smaller planes

  • The Herald Business Journal Staff
  • Friday, February 12, 2016 2:24pm
  • Business

A combined Boeing and Air Force crew used a KC-46 tanker to successfully refuel an F/A-18 aircraft in flight this week with the aerial tanker’s hose and drogue system.

The refueling took place at 20,000 feet during the four-hour flight. Boeing is developing the aerial refueling tanker for the Air Force and is basing the plane on the company’s commercial 767 jetliner.

The refueling tanker can transfer fuel with a boom or a hose and drogue system. The boom can transfer up to 1,200 gallons of fuel per minute for larger aircraft.

A crew successfully tested the boom on an F-16 fighter on Jan. 24. The hose and drogue system can transfer up to 400 gallons of fuel per minute for smaller planes such as the F/A-18. The test was conducted on Wednesday.

Boeing hopes the refueling flights will lead to a low-rate initial production decision later this year. Boeing plans to build 179 KC-46 aircraft for the U.S. Air Force.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.