USAF KC-135D 117th ARS Kansas ANG 40th

KC135D

The Boeing KC-135D Stratotanker is a variant of the KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft operated by the United States Air Force. The KC-135D designation was applied to former RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft that were modified and converted for the tanker role. The KC-135 family, based on the Boeing 367-80 prototype, has served as the backbone of U.S. Air Force aerial refueling operations since the late 1950s. The KC-135D retains the fundamental capabilities of the KC-135 airframe, including the ability to transfer large quantities of fuel to receiver aircraft using a flying boom system. Powered by Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet engines in earlier configurations, the KC-135D played an important role in sustaining long-range strike and airlift operations during the Cold War era. Though fewer in number than the KC-135E and KC-135R variants, the KC-135D contributed to the operational flexibility of the USAF tanker force, and most examples were eventually retired or converted to other configurations as the fleet was modernized.

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