Each B52 gets its own tanker?
I bet the wingtip vortices off a B52 would be fairly exciting for a smaller plane
I'm surprised they have never replaced the engines with 4 new turbofans. Seems like the fuel savings & range increase would be worthwhile
Yes, each buff gets its own tanker.
If you noticed during the launch each airplane moved into its own airspace after lift-off. #1 goes high, #2 goes right, #3 goes left, #4 stays low. Repeat for each cell. It gets a little bumpy...
Those were "G" model buffs equipped with J-57 TJ engines. They've all been chopped up. The "H" models are still flying with TF-33 engines. They've tested the CFM engines (KC-135s run them now) on buffs but haven't changed over to them.
