Subject: SR-71 - The KC-135 Tankers
Edited by David Barth, November 21, 2008
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SR-71 in flight |
The SR-71's two turbo-ramjet engines gobbled fuel, as can be imagined. After takeoff, the plane tanked (filled up with fuel from one of the special KC-135 tankers that carried the special JP-7 fuel), flew to its area of operation where reconnaissance was to be done, tanked again, then ascended and flew the prescribed route.
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SR-71 taking fuel from KC-135 tanker |
Following the reconnaissance, it slowed and descended to tank again, and flew back to base. The most expensive part of the SR-71 program was the tankers which could only be used for the SR-71 program due to the special fuel they carried.
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SR-71 pulling away from KC-135 tanker |
For every SR-71 mission, several Air Force KC-135 tankers had to fly to predetermined stations along the SR-71 route of flight and orbit until they were needed. For very long flights, nearly a dozen tankers were in the air.
To help alleviate the cost of tankers, bases in Okinawa and England were used in addition to the home base at Beale. To support reconnaissance of an international crisis, an SR-71 crew and plane were always on standby, ready to launch within several hours, and that meant that tankers had to be on standby and be incorporated into the flight plan.
Unlike Navy carrier operations where a standby plane can be readied and launched in a matter of less than 10 minutes and given flight vectors enroute, SR-71 reconnaissance operations required precise planning for the route, for tanker positioning along that route, and to give the subsonic tankers time to fly to their stations. Furthermore, the pilot and RSO had to be prepared by breathing a special air mixture and dressed in space suits capable of operating in a full-vacuum, activities which required some time.
Links to additional SR-71 Articles:
SR-71 - Inflight Breakup
SR-71 - Ceiling
SR-71 - Landing at Buckley ANG Base
SR-71 - Cancellation
SR-71 - Flight over France
SR-71 - Landing at Grand Forks, ND AFB
SR-71 - History
SR-71 - Flight over Libya
SR-71 - Navy challenge
SR-71 - Fueling from KC-135 Tankers
SR-71 - Titanium construction