The miracle of flight in and of itself is an amazing technological accomplishment, but the innovations that have come to the field since its inception have each been beyond remarkable. One of the most incredible feats is the marvel of aerial refueling. From the first aerial refueling to the present time, it’s been a century now since the technique was established. While the details of aerial refuel have evolved, it continues to play an intricate role in operations for the U.S. military.
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Who Invented Aerial Refueling?
After a century of aerial refueling, there’s a fascinating history behind the maneuver that’s had many different evolutions. But it can all be traced back to June 27, 1923, after two custom De Haviland DH-4Bs worked together to keep one of them in flight for six hours and 38 minutes while the other used a gravity-flow hose to refuel.
This was a bright beginning to what would become a long future involving aerial refueling aircraft. However, there were still hurdles to overcome at various moments in time. Only months later on November 18, 1923, an aerial refueling accident would strike the Army Air Service when a hose tangled a wing and killed the refueling pilot.
Looking to avoid other aerial refueling accidents, the United States abandoned the idea. Thankfully, other nations did not and although the U.S. took a hiatus until 1929, others kept tinkering around with the possibilities in order to keep the dream alive.
However, the innovations that would arrive, even on the American side, would not be enough. As a result, funding was difficult to secure for the Army Air Corps to implement the technique.
This meant yet another hurdle to jump, but eventually, aerial refueling tankers would become a staple in the military. But it was private and commercial planes that would pick things up to keep the innovations flowing.
Two pilots in Texas would end up remaining in the air for 172 hours and 32 minutes during a flight that occurred in May of 1929. This was nothing compared to the Curtiss Robin aircraft that stayed in the air for 653 hours and 34 minutes using aerial refueling.
Then came the British, who were looking to improve air refueling but with a different goal in mind. Rather than stay in the sky for longer, the British were looking to carry more bombs by reducing the weight of their aircraft brought on by fuel.
These methods were all very important, but they were simply the origins. To evolve and provide reliable techniques for things like the military and Air Force 1 aerial refueling, aviators had to fly even higher with their ideas.
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The Evolution of Refueling Planes in the Sky
World War II presented a major need for aerial refueling, yet it would also present conditions that rendered it unnecessary. There were issues with a lack of training resources and manufacturing problems that hindered the practice. However, this once again would renew interest inside the U.S. and open the door to future use.
The Air Force embraced air refueling and began advancing the technology in earnest in 1948. Eventually, the USAF would begin using the flying boom which would come about thanks to Boeing in 1950.
This would prove useful as the technique was used to the benefit of Americans during the Korean War. A major benefit from aerial refueling during the war was that American pilots could fly from the lower 48 and make it to Hawaii, Japan, and Korea while taking on more fuel mid-flight.
By the ‘70s, 830 Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers would be serving in the USAF. Through the Vietnam War, various military operations, and even Desert Shield and Desert Storm, planes benefited from the innovation. Today, this still rings true.
The several conflicts that have occurred over the last couple of decades in the Middle East have seen aerial refueling as a mainstay. There are more modern inventions, such as the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray, an aerial refueling drone, as well as the KC-10, KC-46, and KC-135 tankers.
How Does Aerial Refueling Work?
The basic idea surrounding the technique is to transfer fuel from one aircraft to another in mid-air. If you’re the aircraft providing the fuel, you’re called the tanker and the receiver is the aircraft that receives the fuel. A simple concept but still an advanced technique to pull off while in flight.
Both aircraft will draw near in the air and while they can go as far as 100 feet from one another, that’s barely any space, especially while traveling at such speeds and altitudes. Factor in turbulence, weather conditions, and much more, and things get dicey very quickly.
Getting the distance between the two aircraft down is difficult but once it’s accomplished, you have options. The first is known as probe-and-drogue. This is when a long hose with a funnel device extends from the tanker and plugs into the receiver after the pilot moves into position at the right speed.
Alternatively, there is also the aerial refueling boom, but more formally, the flying boom. This is where two aircraft are connected by a tube known as the boom. This is the preferred aerial refueling technique performed by the U.S. Air Force because of its speed.
Whatever method is used, every pilot in the sky today can thank the long history and innovations that have come throughout a century of aerial refueling techniques and tech for keeping them soundly in the air.
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