Boeing KC-46 In-flight Refueler Tanker (2017)
The Boeing KC-45 beat out the EADS Airbus 330 submission the second time around to win the KC-X tanker competition for the United States Air Force.
When an initial USAF initiative to acquire Boeing KC-767s aerial tankers fell aground in 2003, a new endeavor was born to develop a new dedicated tanker aircraft through the "KC-X" program in 2006. Both Boeing and EADS/Northrop (on behalf of Airbus) threw their hats into the ring in the hopes of netting the lucrative long-term $40 billion defense contract. Boeing eventually offered their KC-767 while EADS/Northrop delivered their A330 MRTT (this as the "KC-30"). The United States Department of Defense formally selected the EADS/Northrop A330 MRTT/KC-30 proposal and marked the type for development as the "KC-45A" in February of 2008.
The selection of the French Airbus 330 spurred Boeing to action to which the American concern filed a formal protest to American authorities and took their outrage to the public square to help gain a larger audience of favor. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO), citing several miscalculations on the part of the USAF during the initial proposal review and subsequent selection, sided with Boeing and restarted the KC-X bidding process anew.
In the second round of fighting, Boeing resubmitted their KC-767 while EADS - now going it alone without Northrop Grumman support - once again delivered their Airbus A330 proposal. The original selection was overturned in favor of the American-based KC-767 which was formally selected as the winner on February 24th, 2011. For the USAF inventory, the KC-767 is redesignated as the "KC-46A" and, at its core, remains essentially a modernized and militarized version of the original Boeing 767 passenger airliner that began service back in 1982. However, the KC-46 will bring along a new KC-10 style refueling boom as well as cockpit features of the new Boeing 787 "Dreamliner". The initial phase of the KC-46 program will include an "Engineering and Manufacturing Development" portion with a first flight scheduled for sometime in 2014. The USAF intends on procuring some 179 total KC-46 aerial refueling tankers for its current inventory, allowing the release of many of its KC-135 Stratotankers (803 produced since 1957).
Externally, the KC-46 mimics much of the conventional Boeing design philosophy with its streamlined fuselage swept wing surfaces. The cockpit flightdeck is fitted to the extreme forward end of the tubular fuselage with framed windscreen windows allowing for adequate viewing out of the cockpit. The wings are low-mounted onto the fuselage and swept rearwards at 34-degree angles with noticeable dihedral when viewed from the forward profile. The fuselage tapers to a point at the rear of the empennage to which a conventional tail wing plan is affixed. This includes a tall, wide-area vertical tail fin (clipped at its tip) as well as a pair of horizontal tailplanes canted slightly upwards. The undercarriage consists of two main landing gear legs near the wingroots and a nose landing gear leg under the cockpit. The main legs sport four wheels while the nose leg is completed with a standard pairing. There are three rectangular access doors along the fuselage sides for crew and passengers alike. The KC-46 features a standard seating arrangement for 15 operational personnel which include two pilots and the Aerial Refueling Operator (ARO). Maximum take-off weight for the KC-46A is listed by the USAF at 415,000lbs while its fuel capacity is 212,300lbs. Maximum transfer fuel load is listed at 207,670lbs.
Design of the KC-46 is such that the type can be used to fuel any current and near-future US military (and allied) fixed-wing aircraft set up to receive in-flight refueling from an aerial tanker. Fuel delivery is via an updated KC-10-style extending boom assembly as well as a centerline drogue in addition to a pair of underwing aerial refueling pods (these mounted outboard of the engine nacelles). The drogue and underwing pods are designed specifically for use with aircraft that field an integrated refueling probe in their design. All told, the KC-46 can refuel up to three different aircraft types simultaneously thanks to its well-thought out and proven fuel delivery system and design.
The aircraft line will be powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW4062 series high-bypass turbofan engines of 62,000lbs thrust each, these contained in streamlined nacelles slung under each wing. Top speed is 570 miles per hour with a cruise speed of 530 miles per hour. Range is listed at 6,385 miles with a service ceiling of approximately 40,100 feet.
The internal arrangement of the KC-46 is somewhat flexible in design in that it can be used to fulfill a variety of missions along with its primary refueling role. The internal setup can be revised to include cargo space for up to 18 pallets or passenger seating for up to 58 personnel (as many as 114 if need be according to the USAF). The KC-46 can serve the MEDEVAC role as well by supplying room for up to 58 medical litters and applicable staff through the available specialized medical configuration. Maximum cargo capacity is 65,000lbs.
As of this writing, development of the KC-46 is ongoing though cost overruns were noted in June of 2011, this to be covered by Boeing. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Boeing KC-46
In-flight Refueler Tanker
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: The Boeing Company - USA
Initial Year of Service: 2017
Production: 179
Focus Model: Boeing KC-767A
Crew: 3
Length: 159.12ft (48.5m)
Width: 156.17ft (47.60m)
Height: 51.84ft (15.80m)
Weight (Empty): 181,610lbs (82,377kg)
Weight (MTOW): 412,000lbs (186,880kg)
Powerplant: 2 x General Electric GE CF6-80C2 turbofan engines delivering 60,200lbs of thrust each.
Maximum Speed: 569mph (915kmh; 494kts)
Maximum Range: 7,581miles (12,200km)
Service Ceiling: 40,026ft (12,200m; 7.6miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 0 feet per minute (0m/min)
Hardpoints: 0
Armament Suite:
None.
Variants:
KC-46 - Base Series Designation
KC-46A - Initial Production Model Designation
Operators: United States
BY DECADE:
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• 2020 to 2029
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Aircraft
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
• Attack Helicopters
• Bomber Aircraft
• Medium Bombers
• Heavy Bombers
• Close-Air Support (CAS)
• Commercial Aircraft
• Dive Bombers
• Electronic Warfare Aircraft (EWA)
• Experimental / X-Planes
• Fighter Aircraft
• Floatplane Aircraft
• Flying Boat Aircraft
• Aerial Refueling Tankers
• Helicopters (ALL)
• Interceptor Aircraft
• Multi-Role Aircraft
• Navy Carrier Aircraft
• Night Fighters
• Reconnaissance / Scout
• Search & Rescue (SAR)
• Scout Helicopters
• Special Purpose
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Transport Helicopters
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
• Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs)
COLLECTIONS:
• 4th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• 5th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• US X-Planes
• Classic US Warbirds
• French Military Helicopters
• Grumman "Cats"
• Howard Hughes Aircraft
• Indian Air Force
• Israeli Air Force
• Libyan Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Fighters
• Modern Military Aircraft
• Modern North Korean Aircraft
• Modern Trainer Aircraft
• Modern US Aircraft
• Mikoyan Aircraft
• Sukhoi Aircraft
• Syrian Aircraft
• Top 10 Fighter Aircraft of All Time
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT:
• Arab-Israeli War (1948)
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1959-1962)
• Falklands War (1982)
• Indo-Pak War (1965, 1971)
• Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
• Lebanon War (1982)
• Operation Allied Force (1999)
• Operation Desert Storm (1991)
• Six Day War (1967)
• Spanish Civil War (1936)
• Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
• Yom Kippur War (1973)
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Aircraft Cockpits
• Aircraft Manufacturers List
• Aircraft Timeline
WORLD WAR 2:
• 1939 Aircraft
• 1940 Aircraft
• 1941 Aircraft
• 1942 Aircraft
• 1943 Aircraft
• 1944 Aircraft
• 1945 Aircraft
• 1946 Aircraft
• Australian Aircraft
• Battle of Britain Aircraft
• Bombers
• Four-Engine Bombers
• British Aircraft
• British Bombers
• British Transports
• Dive Bombers
• Canadian Aircraft
• Fighters
• Chinese Aircraft
• French Aircraft
• German Aircraft
• German Fighters
• German Flying Boats
• German Jets
• Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
• Italian Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Fighters
• Mitsubishi Bombers
• Navy Aircraft
• Pearl Harbor
• Polish Aircraft
• Romanian Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Navy Aircraft
• Soviet Aircraft
• Torpedo Bombers
• Transport Aircraft
• Tuskegee Airmen Aircraft
• W.A.S.P. Aircraft
• WW2 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• 1914 Aircraft
• 1915 Aircraft
• 1916 Aircraft
• 1917 Aircraft
• 1918 Aircraft
• Aircraft Timeline
• Austro-Hungarian Aircraft
• Bomber Aircraft
• British Aircraft
• Fighters
• Flying Boats
• French Aircraft
• Imperial German Aircraft
• Italian Aircraft
• Scout Aircraft
• Russian Empire Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• WW1 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Australian Aircraft
• Korean War Aces
• Korean War Jets
• North Korean Aircraft
• US Military Aircraft
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
• Helicopters
• North Vietnam Air Force
• US Airpower
• VIEW ALL
COLD WAR:
• 1950s French Aircraft
• British V-Bombers
• Cold War Bombers
• Soviet Aircraft
• Soviet Bombers
• Soviet Interceptors
• Soviet Helicopters
• Strategic Air Command
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Interceptors
• VIEW ALL
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
