Jon,
As usual, very interesting and informative info. A couple of questions.
1. The old EC-135 Looking Glass birds that SAC had, when they were retired, why weren't they kept as tankers? As if I remember correctly, not only were they command post airplanes, but they retained their boom and could refuel other aircraft ala KC style, while also being receiver capable. I don't believe there are many "regular" KC-135s that are receiver capable.
The EC-135s that were the "Looking Glass" birds were few in number relative to the KC-135A of which there were 640ish built if my fading memory serves me right. The EC's had TF33s (fans) and the As had J57 water wagons. For fleet commonality it just wasn't worth the effort. Same applied to the myriad of RC-135s, some of which were one off really weird birds. There were six "Cristine" KC135As that had receptacles and were "de modified" KC135Ds that had been used in the Pacific for something. They had the J57s and ended up at Castle where I was and instructor.
Eventually the fleet got modified with the big fans and became KC-135Rs. "Rs are bigger than yours" was there motto. The ANG got JT3D engines (and a lot of other stuff) off TWA and American 707s when the retired them. Those became KC-135Es. Not sure if they still exist or were converted to Rs. The Es had thrust reversers which the As & Rs did not.
2. Were KC-10s in SAC attached to B-52/B-1 Bomb Wings just as the KC-135s were? If so, which wings were they paired since there were only 60 airframes?
The first KC10 unit was at Barksdale and was part of the 2nd BW. There were two squadrons that flew them, one active, on reserve. This was like the MAC 141 "associate" program where active & reserve crews flew the same airplanes, assigned to the active duty wing. This was different that many AFRES (now AFRC) units that had their own airplanes, i.e "unit equipped". The first unit at March AFB was also assigned to the host Bomb Wing which I think (foggy memory again...it as 30 years ago) was the 22nd BW. When the KC10s stood up at Seymour Johnson it was a TAC base, 4th TFW (Fourth But First was their motto, which quickly "Fourth BUTT First" by the irreverent tanker toads!) was the host unit as I think the 68th BW was deactivated about that time. Eventually the KC10s were assigned to MAC (by then AMC) wings at Travis and McGuire where they are now.
3. How did you like the A-model J57s?
In 14 years and thousands of hours I never had a problem with them, nor did I ever lose water on an engine. They were pretty much bullet proof and although they "turned fuel and water into noise and smoke" they went fast as hell when you really wanted to. The KC135A was a honest to God, no , .90 mach airplane. At that speed though the cockpit noise was a lot, but then it was pretty loud anyhow and by that time we were all deaf so who cared?
The airframe was as bullet proof as the engines. I used to joke it was carved out of a solid block or iron! I flew in the training school at Castle AFB for 5 years and had thousands of landings by students, many of who were right out of the T38. Trust me, that airplane could drop in from 20 feet, bounce back up 15, and come back down without breaking up! It was a GREAT airplane...the "Gooney Bird" of the jet age. Consider that the first ones were built in 1955 and the last in 1964, and over half of them are still flying! The old joke is that when the LAST "B anything" i.e. a bomber goes to the bone yard, a KC-135 crew will fly in and pick them up. I can't think of a single big multi engine plane still flying in the USAF that is as old. Since the KC-135 came into service, the C141 came in and left, so did all but the B52H which was built AFTER the last KC-135 rolled off the assembly line.
Only remember two KC-135 accidents that I knew well (though there's been many): AZ ANG KC-135 midair with a Grumman Yankee on approach to Luke AFB in 1982, and a KI Sawyer KC-135 that crashed on takeoff from Dyess AFB in '89, filled with dependants en route to Hawaii.
Remember both of those. Good friend of mine was an Air Reserve Technician in the Sky Harbor Guard unit and knew all of the crew that was killed in that crash. There were a lot of others I remember too as I flew them from 1967 to 1981 when I got into the KC10. I was at UTapao, Thailand in 1968 and watched the lead in our cell crash on takeoff as we sat on the end of the runway waiting for him to get airborne so we could go. We used a 1 minute interval.
As I mentioned before, I like the KC-10 director light system. Very successful tanker conversion program, unlike what we're finding today with the tanker bids. Oh and in your video....I love the old-school original paint job of the -10 with white over gray and the blue cockpit roof. The "shamu" colors weren't bad either, just very drab.
There were a lot of improvements in the -10 over the -135. Fly by wire boom that after a disconnect would stay in whatever position it was when the disconnect happened rather than move back to the center as it did with the -135. The PDI (Pilot Director Lights) were another improvement as they reacted to direction and speed so if you moved real fast they would give a solid rather than flashing signal. Personally I like refueling with the PDIs off as it sharpened my skills of knowing where I was in the envelope using references of the tanker other than the lights.
I hated the so called "camouflaged" paint job. That was the brainchild of one of the biggest s I ever met, and at the time was the SAC/DO. I have a picture of the Barksdale ramp from 35,000 feet and you can see the "camouflaged" planes easier than the "white tops" as the white tops blend in with the concrete ramp. I suppose if the -10 ever flew off a dirt ramp the camo would be better, but since that was impossible, the old paint job was best. Back when the original paint scheme was brought out, there was a red strip above and below the blue one separating the white on top and grey on bottom. That was really neat but got axed. (probably by the same that thought up the camo jobs)
Well, probably the last time you will ever ask me a question in the post. I just really enjoyed my 40 years in aviation, especially the 28 in the Air Force and have a lot of fond memories.
