@ Edwards AFB, CA
October 2022
A KC-135 performs a flyby during the 2022 Aerospace Valley Air Show. 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.
