"One of only two remaining KC-135 E model Stratotankers of the Utah Air National Guard was delivered to its final resting place April 24 to officials of the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base."
http://www.military.com/news/article...RC=airforce.nl

We kept them flying with tie-wraps and .032 safety wire!

 

Were those the ones with the straight turbojets on the SLC ramp?

 

While from a distance they look like pure turbojets, the P&W JT3D engine is a low-bypass turbofan. They replaced the original Turbojet engines of the KC-135A.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Pratt & Whitney TF33)

Jump to: navigation, search
The Pratt & Whitney JT3D is an early turbofan engine derived from the Pratt & Whitney JT3C turbojet and was first flown in 1958. Over 8,000 JT3Ds were produced between 1959 and 1985. Most JT3D engines still in service today are used on military aircraft, where the engine is referred to by its USAF designation of TF33.
In 1959 important orders for the engine were the Boeing 707-120B and Boeing 720B when American Airlines ordered one 707 powered by JT3D turbofans and KLM ordered a JT3D powered Douglas DC-8. The earlier 707s had been powered by the turbojet JT3C and the improved efficiency of the turbofan soon attracted the airlines. A JT3D powered 707-123B and 720-023B (the suffix B was to indicate a turbofan powered aircraft) entered service with American Airlines on the same day, March 12, 1961. The next development of the 707 (the -300 series) were only offered with JT3D turbofans.[1]
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers were all originally powered by turbojet engines, although some of the more specialized variants were fitted with TF33s. With the demise of many airline 707s the United States Air Force took the opportunity to buy the surplus airframes and use the engines to re-engine the KC-135As used by the Air National Guard and reserve squadrons with the civilian JT3D (designated TF33-PW-102). Over 150 aircraft were modified and the former KC-135A were re-designated the KC-135E.[1]
After long service for both airlines and air forces the number of JT3D powered aircraft is steadily decreasing. 135 KC-135s use the JT3D while 354 were fitted with CFM International CFM56 engines which provide greater thrust and increased operational flexibility due to their lower noise footprint. The noise of the JT3D is one of the reasons NATO has debated re-engining their E-3 Sentry AWACS fleet, with the aircraft subject to restrictions that modern-engined aircraft are not. Operational flexibility would be further increased due to the ability of higher power engines to increase the ceiling of the aircraft, extending the horizon for radar surveillance, e.g RAF, French and Saudi E-3s routinely fly higher than NATO/USAF counterparts. However the main funding for such a program would come from the United States who most likely wish to upgrade their own fleet first.[who?]
Another well known aircraft which was fitted with the JT3D (in TF33 form) was the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress. The 'H' model of the B-52 was the only variant of the famous bomber to be fitted with turbofan engines, and the only model remaining in US Air Force service. It is expected to remain as a mainstay of the USAF heavy bomber fleet until at least 2030.

 

Closely related. The TF33-P-11 (16,000 lbs of thrust) had a special fuel control for flights near 70,000 feet in the RB-57F.

 

I'm glad I never had to take a 135 to the boneyard. It's just a hunk of metal...but I think it would be very hard. As much as we sometimes try to disguise it...we pilots are a sentimental bunch.

 

It will get worse as you get older. Aviation museums are depressing but you won't be able to stay away. One of the aircraft I flew in Vietnam forty years ago is now on display at the AF Museum. Had to visit (Squadron Reunion) last summer. Those guys are really old looking.

 

I am glad that I got in in-time to have the pleasure of flying the tanker. I was pretty lucky to get the fly the E model for a couple months in Jersey. It nice to get to fly a piece of history that is the tanker.

 

It could have been a KC97 .

 

I may be wrong, but those of us in the ANG/Reserve 135 tankers tend to push it up more than the AD tanker units do. However, in a fighter drag, we do have to watch the fuel. Our number one priority it to ensure our customers have enough gas to reach their destination or alternate. We'd love to get you there sooner, and will if possible. Believe me, we want to get to the cold brews at the end of the flight just as badly as you do (chances are one of us in the tanker has cold ones on ice aboard just begging us to land). If we can push it up we do. It's the AD tankers that are more closely monitored by TACC that don't want to fly any faster than the plan.

However, times are changing, we in the ANG are being pressured to carry less "slop" and fly best range so as to save fuel (burn time not gas). Be it E or R, AD/ANG/Reserve, the fuel situation will be tigher going forward. Morale speed is on the endangered list.

 

Having flown the E most of my career, I jumped at the chance to take one of our E's to the boneyard. I just felt that it was only right for us senior guys to do it. In my mind, it would have just been wrong for the newbies to get the task. They wouldn't see it as an honor or have the sentimental mentality to know what how significant the event was.

The E is a very fine and capable machine. Sure we used a bit more fuel, made some noise, and left a smoke trail, but we loved the thrust reverse on landing and could do the job as well as an R. Ok, maybe a few K less in off load, but most of the time the reciever wouldn't take all they had us planned for anyway, so what's the big deal. I am sorry to see the E's go. I have to laugh at the people that call the R a new plane than the E. The R's we got were only 3 years, on average, younger than the E's we had, and the hours on the airframe were nearly the same. Now, the engine time was a totally different story, but the ANG/Reserve got the engines used from the airlines. A damn better engine than the A's though.