The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker: More Than a Tanker

Few would have imagined when "Dix" Loesch and "Tex" Johnston took the KC-135A up for its maiden flight on August 31 1956 that some 60 years later it would still be in front-line active service around the world. What began as a jet-powered replacement for the KC-97 to refuel Strategic Air Commands growing B-47 and B-52 bomber fleet soon evolved into Americas first military heavy jet transport an airborne command post platform capable of surviving and then commanding Americas nuclear war plan a testbed that enabled scientists to study the Earth send men to the Moon and understand the power of the atom. Other variants of the KC-135 included a reconnaissance airframe that monitors arms agreements gathers intelligence to understand the intentions and capabilities of potential enemies and provides real-time intelligence in combat - beginning with the war in Southeast Asia and continuing to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Today tanker versions of the KC-135 remain in service with Chile France Singapore Turkey and the United States while reconnaissance variants operate with Great Britain and the United States. This is a fully revised and expanded edition of the original bestselling Aerofax book and includes operational histories of the 80 unique types as well as individual details for all 820 airplanes by serial number including first flight delivery changes in configuration attrition and retirement. Appendices cover all units a summary of each accident display and stored aircraft and record-setting achievements. The author is a former USAF pilot qualified on 17 types of KC-135s EC-135s and RC-135s who bring both personal experience and a broad historical understanding to this definitive work on one the most significant military aircraft of the Cold War and beyond.