Saw this today. Is Boeing capable of anything these days?

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/the-air-forces-kc-46a-pegasus-has-a-big-problem

Don’t get me started. I’m a Boeing guy but enough is enough.

The 46 has been a trash program. I did some flight testing to get our receiver qual behind them and it was interesting to say the least. ALOT of boom strikes. Their camera system whitewashes out all the white and light gray jets in a lot of different scenarios. Israel’s 707 tanker has used a camera system for a very long time so it’s not like it’s “new” technology.

I am hoping I get to jump on DALs first MAX10 delivery though!

Is boomer position an issue? I presume it's KC-10 like?

Nope. Boom sits in the cockpit and looks at a screen!

kind of like when they moved the gunner forward on the buff.

Yea. It seems crazy to me but Israel has been doing it for years
https://www.twz.com/air/our-best-look-so-far-inside-israelis-once-secretive-707-tankers

It's almost criminal the quality of materials that some manufacturers seem to be using these days to keep up the profits.

I didn’t think the KC-10’s were still in operation- as of September’24 there are apparently still 2 flying based on an online article.

Appears the KC-135 gonna be on the same plan as the Buff - keep retrograding/fitting and fly into perpetuity.

KC-10s retired from military use last year.

Omega (contract aerial refueling) still has two, along with a KC-707

BTW - wasn’t the KC-10 initially planned to replace the 135? If so, what happened to that plan? Anything to do with the one that blew up on the apron at Barksdale?

I’m not sure to tell you the truth. I can say that the DC-10/KC-10 was an excellent aircraft though.

Pretty sure operating cost were high. Nice looking plane.

Their crews hated life. They were the reliability tankers in Afghanistan. 135s would fly in country with their dedicated receivers, refuel them, dump their extra gas in the 10, then fly morale speed back home to the bar. The poor 10 guys would have to sit there and orbit all night just like us, in case something popped off and someone needed some gas

Me and a buddy filled one on a Saturday. 5 trucks ea. and we had to do our own fillstand all because the "couldn't" move it to a pit. Took a whole shift, no lunch.