Message posted by Richard C on April 09, 2005 at 8:07:59 PST:

The RAF L-1011 Tristar has a single point Hose & Drogue system. There are two hoses, one for larger aircraft (higher fuel transfer) and one for fighter aircraft. It cannot refuel any of the USAF aircraft as these are fitted with the Boom recepticle.
They can, and frequently do however refuel USN/USMC aircraft as these use the probe system.

The KC-10 has the boom system, which can also be fitted with a drogue system to refuel probe equiped aircraft, but this needs to be fitted on the ground before take-off. Same goes with the KC-135, however some KC-135s are now fitted with the Hose & Drogue system on each wing pylon as well as the centre boom.

The Dutch KDC-10 is the same as the USAF KC-10 but with a different paint scheme. It used to be white but has now changed to a two tone grey scheme. It has passenger windows all the way down the side of the fuselage so it can be mistaken for a passenger jet, apart from the Boom on it's rear end. So this may of been the one you saw. It is also used as troop transport, the same as the RAF Tristar.

The KC-10 has very few windows along the fuselage as it is a dedicated tanker, however it can, and does take up to 75 passengers.

Rich

In Reply to: Periodically I see these flying out of Nellis posted by Peter A. Forkes on March 27, 2005 at 10:26:19 PST:

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