@ Santa Maria, CA
October 2023
A Nebraska-based KC-135R on static display during the 2023 Central Coast AirFest. A tail stand has been installed to ensure stability for the large changes of CG typical for this type of aircraft. Tail stands are also important for aircraft with sensitive CG issues. Various modifications to the KC-135 over the decades (e.g., taller/heavier vertical stabilizer, larger heavier horizontal stabilizers, new heavier high-speed boom, additional rear-mounted APU) have made the aircraft tail heavy. The KC-135R was the result of a modernization effort to re-engine KC-135As and some KC-135Es with CFM56 turbofan engines, 417 converted. Compared to the original A-model, the upgraded KC-135R can offload up to 50% more fuel, is 25% more fuel-efficient, is significantly quieter, and costs 25% less to operate than with the previous engines. Stratotankers have been in service since 1957 and many will eventually be replaced by the Boeing 767-based KC-46 Pegasus. The last KC-135 was delivered to the Air Force in 1965.
