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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0636.PDF
630 FLIGHT, 22 May 1953 FOR TRIPLE THIRSTS Details of an Important New Flight Refuelling Technique The three Meteors on the right are refuelling from a Boeing KB-29 tanker of the U.S.A.F., at the wing-tips of which are the fairings for the flight-refuelling "packs". Presumably the KB-29 depicted is that referred to by Sir Alan Cobham as "the only three-point tanker in existence." Meteors' tanks are filled in 3 mins. ON his recent return from America, Sir Alan Cobham, chairman of Flight Refuelling, Ltd., stated : "The only three-point tanker in existence at the moment is in the United States. The Americans are pressing forward full speed with probe-and-drogue refuelling. American aircraft designers are turning to flight refuelling as the only immediate answer to the demand for higher speed and longer range. The multi-point tanker has convinced them that probe-and-drogue refuelling can overcome many design problems with jet aircraft. The same system can be used with complete interchangeability by all aircraft, whether R.A.F., U.S.A.F., or civil." Sir Alan went on to state that the tanker equipment could be designed as a "pack" installation which could be slung in the bomb bay or bolted on as a "pod." Given the right engineering approach, a bomber could be convened into a tanker in half an hour, and this had actually been done in the U.S.A. The big advantage of flight refuelling, he asserted, was economy of aircraft. Counting in the tankers, fewer—not more—aircraft were required when flight refuelling was employed, and studies showed that a combined force of a hundred flight-refuelled bombers and tankers could do the job of 200 unrefuelled bombers. As for fighters, it is claimed that four tankers could refuel a squadron of twelve in three minutes at any height up to 25,000ft— and higher still with more powerful tankers than the present Boeing KB-29, as illustrated in the accompanying pictures. Though it has been an open secret in this country for many months, the "multi-point tanker" has only recently been officially announced, and a fine film in colour depicting it in operation was shown in London last week. Discussing points arising from the film, Sir Alan Cobham said that the aim should be to have what he called "hermaphrodite" aircraft which, as they stood or with the minimum of attention, could be fitted to give or receive fuel. All military aircraft from the design-stage should be prepared to refuel in flight. A probe attachment-point was all that was required; the probe itself— weighing, say, a maximum of 25 lb—could be fitted in a few minutes when likely to be required. The triple refuelling points on the KB-29 tanker made no appreciable difference to the performance or handling of the aircraft. The drag of each hose was approximately 500 lb, and with the three trailing on the KB-29 the reduction in speed of the aircraft was only 5 to 6 m.p.h. Sir Alan thought that the present rate of transfer of fuel was adequate. If fuel were passed more quickly it might even lead to e.g. accommodation problems for the receivers. There had been no trouble to date with icing of probe or drogue, but trials on the ground with artificially iced probes had shown that icing could be overcome with a simple alcohol system. The economic minimum with safe reserve for a tanker fleet for civil use from an airport such as Gander or Shannon was five machines, but to occupy this fleet on at least two refuellings a day would require the co-operation of more than one airline company. Clearly, Sir Alan thought there was everything in favour of such an arrangement from the payload and/or range point of view. He did not regard weather as a problem : a tanker could be fitted with adequate aids; the pilot would be completely familiar with the approaches and ground equipment at his base airfield, and could safely operate in poor conditions; the transfer itself by night or day would take place at over 20,000ft, and one could always find clear weather at this sort of height, within a reasonable distance of the transfer point. At lower left is the operator's position in a Boeing KB-29 three-point tanker. This position is located by the starboard fire-control blister. Below: Slowly overtaking the KB-29 at about S m.p.h., is a fighter, the boom of which is visible at the top left-hand corner of the picture about to make connection.
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