In-flight Refueling for Commercial Jet Airliners?

[Bravo52]

BEC is correct.

FWIW I have done air refueling (C-5) and fly ETOPS regularly (737).

ETOPS is much, much, much safer.

Speaking of bow wave . Tankers need a lot of trim. And speaking of bow waves and what not, I always wondered what a breakaway was like in a C-5…what about a gear down breakaway?

 

[watheyak]

You know, as I typed that, I had to wonder if I was right or not. Propulsion is not my area of expertise. I wonder if, say, the fuel flows of takeoff thrust and cruise thrust for, say, GE90s, are available online. It would be interesting to see.

A quick look around the interwebs got me more confused.

Regardless….I am sure fuel flows are taken into account for ETOPS certifications.

I'm also basing this on the engines that I know. I'd be really interested in the fuel burns of GE90s and other large, super efficient engines.

 

[user 13]

Speaking of bow wave . Tankers need a lot of trim. And speaking of bow waves and what not, I always wondered what a breakaway was like in a C-5…what about a gear down breakaway?

Yah, We would push the KC around the sky!

Breakaways were always interesting, It's a lot of aluminum to separate....
The gear stayed up during it.
Disconnect, throttles idle and push down, but not so much that the T tail ran into the KC!

 

[Spitfire222]

The problem, it seems to me, is fuel, no?

Simply put: No

 

[dr wogz]

There's also limits on endurance of passengers, pilots, and crew. The longest flights now are 16 hours plus. I can't imagine trying to extend that. The only thing worse would be 16 hours in a 737 with two in-flight refuelings.

is that with or without children present?!?

 

[user 13]

We sometimes would carry space available passengers on the C-5 during air refueling. We had 70 seats in the back, with only 4 small windows. The loadmasters hated it, the majority of the passengers would get sick. Once one went, most followed.

The engineers would chill the passenger compartment to help, it helped but not much.

 

[boatgeek]

is that with or without children present?!?

OK, worst of all is 16 hours in a 737 with a 7-year-old behind you kicking your seat back and their 6-month-old sibling crying the entire flight.

 

[brockrwood]

OK, worst of all is 16 hours in a 737 with a 7-year-old behind you kicking your seat back and their 6-month-old sibling crying the entire flight.

Just ask the flight attendant for a Seat Kicker IPA. That will take the edge off.

 

[Bravo52]

Yah, We would push the KC around the sky!

Breakaways were always interesting, It's a lot of aluminum to separate....
The gear stayed up during it.
Disconnect, throttles idle and push down, but not so much that the T tail ran into the KC!

The hardest part of the gear down breakeaway in the B-52 was slowing down to retract the gear. That said, you could sure make space if you dropped the gear.