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KC-767 GlobalTanker

KC-767 GlobalTanker
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The world tanker fleet is aging and in need of replacement as the fleet averages more than 45 years in age. These aircraft, while being maintained as well as possible, suffer from fatigue, corrosion, and parts obsolescence. These aircraft are also rapidly aging and are in need of replacement.
The Boeing KC-767, with its aerial refueling boom and a Smiths Aerospace designed new hose-and-drogue aerial refueling systems, offers maximum operational flexibility along with full European Union and NATO interoperability.

Besides the aging fleet of most Western nations, the changing world order is also creating new potential tanker customers such as the United Arab Emirates , Korea , and NATO. Boeing anticipates the market for new tankers is $100B over the next 30 years.

KC-767 Configurations

The KC-767 Tanker has the capability of multiple interior arrangements. While maintaining its tanker capability, the aircraft's uninterrupted cabin floor interior can be configured for:

Convertible Freighter: Convertible Combi

The KC-767 Tanker Transport enhances military deployment capability by providing airlift capability in addition to its primary tanker role. A choice of two transport configurations is available. The Convertible Freighter configuration can carry either passengers or cargo. The Convertible Combi configuration has the same capability and is also capable of carrying both passengers and cargo at the same time.

The KC-767 uses a crew of three: the pilot, the co-pilot and the aerial refueling operator. The cockpit uses modern, state-of-the-art avionics with modern flight control systems. All primary control surfaces are triple hydraulically-powered with emergency backups. All the configuration characteristics of the KC-767 are complementary to the primary mission of providing advanced aerial refueling capabilities for the customer.


Credit: Boeing

Freighter Combi. The freighter combi configuration has the capability to carry cargo pallets on the main deck and below deck. The configuration allows for the efficient movement of modular configured equipment units of a task force organization.

All Freighter Freighter/passenger

Convertible Combi. In this reconfigurable option, the customer can transport people, or people and cargo, which allows for efficiencies in moving the right mix of people and equipment for a particular mission.

Passenger configuration: Combination freighter-passenger configuration:

Exports

Italy

The Italian Air Force KC-767A was originally contracted for in December 2002 and subsequent displayed at the Paris Air Show in June 2005. The Italian Air Force is on contract currently to purchase four KC-767A aerial refuelers to replace its current fleet of 707 tankers. Italy KC-767A #1 conducted first flight on May 21, 2005, and flight testing is under way today and based in Boeing Integrated Defense Systems - Wichita, Kan., location.

Japan

The Japan Air Self Defense Force KC-767 was originally contracted for in 2003. The first Japan Air Self Defense Force's Boeing 767-200ER airplane arrived in Wichita, Kan., in June 2005, for modifications into a KC-767 Tanker. The Japan KC-767 test program is scheduled for fourth quarter 2006, and includes a one-month, 100-hour flight test program to test Japan-unique items.

The Italian Air Force and Japan Air Self Defense Force KC-767 aircraft test programs provide key risk reduction for future customers. Combined the number one aircraft for both customers will have completed 1,000 hours of ground test and 1,100 hours of flight test by end of 2006.

Refuelling systems

The KC-767 can be configured with refuelling wingpods and a central boom for probe and drogue refuelling, or any combination of these configurations.The fuselage can also be fitted with a centerline refuelling boom for boom and receptacle refuelling missions.
The refueling boom is controlled by a Smiths Aerospace Boom Control System (BCS), which locks the boom underneath the aircraft's tail during take-off and landing. At altitide, the boom is lowered at a 45-degree angle down from the fuselage, the boom operator can then control it remotely from the flight deck.
The fuel transfer rate for the centerline hose and boom is 600 gallons per minute and the wingpods at 400 gallons per minute.

The USAF air fuel transfer method is through the boom and receptacle air refuelling technique. The US Navy, the US Marines and NATO aircraft have traditionally used the hose and drogue air refuelling method.


Recent developments:
May. 7th, 2008 | Boeing KC-767 Tanker: 'Sized Right for the Fight'
ST. LOUIS, May 07, 2008 -- The KC-767 Advanced Tanker developed by Boeing [NYSE: BA] was sized to meet the aerial refueling requirements of the U.S. Air Force's mission and exceeded performance requirements to replace the aging, yet storied fleet of KC-135 medium tankers. Despite the fact that the stated parameters for evaluating the aircraft said no extra credit would be assigned for exceeding certain requirement objectives, the Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Com...
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Apr. 24th, 2008 | Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won - Versatility
WASHINGTON - April 23, 2008 - The U.S. Air Force found Northrop Grumman's (NYSE:NOC) bid to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers superior to Boeing's in four of the five most important selection criteria. Despite this fact, the losing bidder wants the Government Accountability Office to overturn the Air Force decision to award the contract to Northrop Grumman even though the Air Force conducted what even Boeing described as a fair, open and transparent bidding process. Here is a...
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Apr. 16th, 2008 | Boeing: KC-767 Tanker Adds Up to Best Value for Warfighter, Taxpayers
ST. LOUIS, April 15, 2008 -- The Boeing [NYSE: BA] KC-767 Advanced Tanker would save billions of dollars over the anticipated lifetime of the aircraft compared with the larger Airbus-based KC-30. Nonetheless, the U.S. government selected the larger air tanker from the team of Northrop Grumman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS). Due to irregularities in the competition, such as the cost comparison, Boeing has protested the decision and asked the Government Accountabi...
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Apr. 11th, 2008 | Boeing KC-767 Tanker Determined More Survivable in USAF Evaluation
ST. LOUIS, April 11, 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today said the U.S. Air Force's decision to award a contract for the next aerial refueling airplane to the team of Northrop Grumman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) is at odds with the fact that the Northrop/EADS team's KC-30 is less survivable and more vulnerable to attack than the Boeing KC-767 Advanced Tanker. The Air Force evaluation cited the Boeing offering to be more advantageous in the critical area of survivab...
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Apr. 4th, 2008 | Evaluation Found Boeing Tanker More Capable, Survivable for Flight Crews
ST. LOUIS, April 03, 2008 -- While the U.S. Air Force awarded a contract to build the next aerial refueling airplane to the team of Northrop Grumman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Air Force evaluators found the Boeing [NYSE: BA] KC-767 Advanced Tanker offers more mission capability and has a better chance of surviving combat than the larger Northrop-EADS KC-30 tanker. "The fact that the Air Force gave Boeing the highest possible rating in mission capability and...
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Specifications

VersionKC-767A
Length159.2 ft | 48.51m
Height52 ft | 15.85m
Wingspan156.1 ft | 47.57m

View all the specs and compare them with other aircraft!

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This page was last updated on: 2006-06-20
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