KC-10 Extender

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The KC-10 Extender is an air-to-air tanker aircraft in service with the United States Air Force derived from the civilian DC-10-30 airliner. The KC-10 was the second consecutive McDonnell Douglas transport aircraft to be selected by the US Air Force following the C-9 Nightingale.

[edit] History

Beginning with the Vietnam War doubts began to be raised about the ability of the 700+ strong KC-135 fleet to meet the needs of the United States’ global commitments. The air-refueling fleet was deployed to South-East Asia in support of tactical aircraft and strategic bombers, while maintaining the US-based support of the nuclear bomber fleet. As a result, studies began into the feasibility of acquiring an air-to-air tanker with a greater capability than the KC-135 fleet, but did not progress well due to lack of funding.

The 1973 Yom Kippur War and the US Operation Nickel Grass demonstrated the necessity of adequate air-refueling capabilities. Denied landing rights in Europe, USAF C-5 Galaxys were forced to carry a fraction of their maximum payload on direct flights from the continental United States to Israel. As a result C-5 crews were soon trained in aerial-refueling and the Department of Defense concluded that a more advanced tanker was needed.

In 1975, under the Advance Tanker/Cargo Aircraft program, four aircraft were evaluated: the C-5 itself, the Boeing 747 (which lost out to the C-5 in a previous military contract), the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, and the Lockheed L-1011. Donald Rumsfeld, in his first posting to the Pentagon, selected the DC-10 in 1976

Conversion to the KC-10 involved only minor modifications to the DC-10-30, the largest of which was the addition of a boom control station in the rear of the fuselage and extra fuel tanks under the main deck. First deliveries to the Strategic Air Command (then in control of AAR assets) commenced in 1981.

The USAF Strategic Air Command had KC-10 Extenders in service from 1981 through 1991, when they were re-assigned to the Air Mobility Command.

In the AAR role the KC-10 has been operated largely in the same way as the RAF’s Tristar (L-1011s), i.e. the strategic refueling of large number of tactical aircraft on ferry flights and the refueling of other strategic transport aircraft. Conversely, the KC-135 and RAF VC-10 fleets have operated largely in the in-theatre tactical role. Examples of the KC-10's strategic role are:

• Operation Desert Shield
  The KC-10 fleet facilitated the deployment of tactical, strategic and transport aircraft to Saudi Arabia.
• Operation El Dorado Canyon
  Faced with refusals of basing and overflight rights from continental European countries, the US was forced to use UK based F-111 'Aardvarks' in their 1986 air-strikes against Libya. The KC-10s allowed 29 F-111s to reach their targets.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force operates three KDC-10s - former civil aircraft modified to the same standard as the KC-10 - in the aerial refueling role and is acquiring an additional aircraft to serve in the strategic transport role. Also, Omega Air operates KDC-10 tankers for lease.^[1]

There are 59 KC-10 Extenders currently in service.^[2] The KC-10 has a significantly larger fuel capacity than the US Air Force's other tanker plane, the KC-135 Stratotanker which has over 500 in service. The USAF's KC-10s are currently stationed primarily at Travis Air Force Base, California and McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.

The KC-10 is currently the world's longest-ranged production aircraft (because the payload tanks are interconnected with the fuel source), surpassing even the Boeing 777-200LR, the longest-range commercial aircraft.

A significant feature of the KC-10 is that in addition to the USAF refueling boom, it also has a separate hose and drogue system used by the US Navy, US Marine Corps and most NATO allied aircraft. This gives the KC-10 the ability to refuel USAF, USN, USMC and NATO aircraft, all in the same mission.

[edit] Losses

On September 17, 1987 aircraft tail number 82-0190 was lost after an explosion and subsequent fire. The tanker was undergoing maintenance on the ground at Barksdale AFB, LA. One member of the ground crew died in the fire.^[3]

[edit] Specifications (KC-10 Extender)

Data from USAF Fact sheet^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: 4 (pilot, copilot, flight engineer, boom operator)
• Length: 181 ft 7 in (54.4 m)
• Wingspan: 165 ft 4.5 in (50 m)
• Height: 58 ft 1 in (17.4 m)
• Wing area: 3,958 ft² (367.7 m²)
• Empty weight: 241,027 lb (109,328 kg)
• Loaded weight: 593,000 lb (269,000 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 590,000 lb (267,600 kg)
• Powerplant: 3× F103/General Electric CF6-50C2 turbofans, 52,500 lb_f (236 kN) each
• Maximum Fuel Load: 356,000 lb (160,200 kg) (limited on takeoff by MTOW)

Image:Usaf.kc10.fairford.arp.jpg

A KC-10 on the ground.

Performance

• Maximum speed: 619 mph (996 km/h)
• Range: 4,400 mi (7,032 km) combat; 11,500 mi (18,507 km) ferry
• Service ceiling 42,000 ft (12,727 m)
• Rate of climb: 6,870 ft/min (34.9 m/s)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• KC-10 page on Boeing.com
• USAF KC-10 fact sheet
• KC-10 web site
• KC-10 Extender page on GlobalAircraft.org
• KC-10 fact sheet on theAviationZone.com

[edit] Related content

Related development

• McDonnell Douglas DC-10

Comparable aircraft

• KC-135 Stratotanker
• A310 MRTT

Designation sequence

• C-7 - C-8 - C-9 - KC-10 - C-11 - C-12 - YC-14

Related lists

• List of active United States military aircraft

See also

• KC-X

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Category: United States military tanker aircraft 1980-1989