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KC-135 Q TANKER SQUADRONS
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The KC-135 is NOT a military version of the Boeing 707 as it is sometimes referred to, as the KC-135 is derived from the original Boeing jet transport "proof of concept" demonstrator, the Boeing 367-80 (commonly called the "Dash-80"). As such, it has a narrower double lobe fuselage and is shorter than the Boeing 707 jetliner which was a single lobed fuselage. Boeing gave the tanker the designation of Model 717, and it was actually produced before the B -707 |
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The major
differences between the KC-135Q and other KC-135s were primarily related
to the fuel system and rendezvous and communications systems. The KC-135Q
utilized two single-point refueling receptacles, one in each main landing
gear wheel well, whereas other KC-135s have only located in the right main
gear well. On the 'Q', the left system serviced the airplane's wing tanks
which carried the KC-135Q fuel of JP-4 and the right system
serviced the body fuel tanks in which JP-7 was normally carried. To
account for changes in the airplane's centre of gravity during SR-71
refueling operations, 850 lb of ballast was added to the lower nose
compartment. The KC-135Q was able to carry simultaneously a maximum of
74,490 lb of JP-7 and 110,000 lb of JP-4. Rendezvous and communications
equipment differences included the addition of a third UHF radio and an
AN/ARC-50 TACAN, both located at the navigator's station. In the late 80s,
a satellite communication (SATCOM) antenna was installed on the upper
forward fuselage.
The Partial Q's did not carry the
Rendezvous and Communications system |
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| 903rd ARS--- 456th BW/17th BW | |||
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903rd
AIR REFUELING SQUADRON |
903
rd
AIR REFUELING SQUADRON BLACK SHIELD |
903rd ARS carried out air refuelling of the A-12, M-21 and the B-52 of the TAGBOARD Program at Groom Lake | |
| I HAVE IT |
R
GIROUARD
WANTED |
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100th AIR REFUELING WING |
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On Sept. 30, 1975, 100th Strategic
Reconnaissance Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., became the
100th Air Refueling Wing and moved to Beale with the 349th and the
350th? both which now became Air Refueling Squadrons The 100th ARW stayed at
Beale until March 15, 1983, when the Air Force inactivated the wing and
consolidated its refueling mission and assets into the 9th Strategic
Reconnaissance Wing.
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100th
AIR REFUELLING WING |
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WANTED
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| 349th ARS----100th ARW | |||
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The
squadron was redesignated the 349th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 30
September 1976 and moved to Beale AFB, CA. That same year, the 349th
transitioned to the KC-135 aircraft and given the mission of providing air
refueling in support of SR-71 aircraft until 1990.
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| 349th AREFS | |||
I HAVE IT
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349th AREFS
R-134 Not sure why this has Boeing 707 Q as the KC-135 was Boeing Model 717 based on the DASH-80 |
349th AREFS
R-134 Same as patch to the left but no letter Q below the right wing. |
349th
AIR REFUELLING SQUADRON |
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| C LANGSTON |
R
GIROUARD
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I HAVE IT | |
| 350th ARS---100th ARW | |||
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Redesignated as the 350th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy, on 19 January 1982, the unit was reactivated on 28 January 1982 at Beale AFB, CA. The squadron was attached to the 100th Air Refueling Wing and was assigned the KC-135 aircraft. The aircraft was reassigned to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 15 March 1983 where it provided refueling support for SR-71 aircraft |
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350th
AIR REFUELLING SQUADRON |
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350th AREFS
S-170
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4126th STRATEGIC WING |
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In May 1959, 4126th Strategic Wing was activated with the first two KC-135s arriving in July, 1959. On Jan. 18, 1960, the 31st Bombardment Squadron with its B-52s arrived at Beale to become part of the wing. On Feb. 1, 1963, SAC re-designated the 4126th as the 456th Strategic Aerospace Wing.
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4126th
STRATEGIC WING
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456th STRATEGIC AEROSPACE WING |
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| I HAVE IT | I HAVE IT | ||
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609th OMS KC-135 / B-52 MAINTENANCE |
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| WANTED | |||
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376th STRATEGIC WING |
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The 376th Strategic Wing was activated on April
1, 1970 at
Kadena Air Base,
Okinawa (later
Japan), from Kadena,
the wing conducted B-52 combat operations in
Southeast Asia from
April to Sept 1970, supporting rotational
Strategic Air Command
squadrons until
Arc Light Missions
from the base were terminated. It also conducted air refueling and electronic reconnaissance from April 1970 to 1973. Until 1991, the wing controlled the 909th Air Refueling Squadron (KC-135A/Q/R) and supported rotational reconnaissance aircraft (U-2., SR-71). The Wing was deactivated at Kadena on 30 October 1991 with the drawdown of strategic forces.
KC-135Q's
Assigned 5 PCS to the 376th / 909th AREFS at Kadena, 6 TDY from the 456th
BW at Beale
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I
HAVE IT
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376th
SW
GIANT BEAR |
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| 909th ARS | |||
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| 909th ARS |
909th ARS |
Giant Bear/ Pony Express |
GIANT
BEAR TTF
KADENA AB |
| I HAVE IT | C LANGSTON | I HAVE IT
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909th AREFS
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KC-135Q TANKER TASK FORCE
DIEGO GARCIA 909th ?
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The 909th relocated to March AFB, CA on 25 June 1966 upon its assignment to the 22nd Bombardment Wing. The squadron rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia, from 1967-1973. It then relocated to Kadena AB, Okinawa (later, Japan) on 1 July 1971 and was assigned to the 376th Strategic Wing. From August 1990-March 1991, the 909th provided air refueling in Southwest Asia.
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909th
ARS
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C
LANGSTON
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| 70th ARS -- 305th BW | |||
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The 70th ARS / 305th BW from Little Rock
AFB, Arkansas handled the refueling of the SR-71 during the early part of the program In 1970, the 70th joined the 305th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom AFB, IN, where it acquired an additional mission flying EC-135s. The new tasking entailed providing an airborne radio link between SAC’s “Looking Glass” airborne command post and the National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP), as part of the Post Attack Command and Control System (PACCS). The 70th Air Refueling Squadron operated out of Grissom AFB until 1993 when it was inactivated.
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| 305th BW | |||
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HAVE IT
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70th
AIR REFUELLING SQUADRON |
70th ARS
Subdued.
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I
HAVE IT
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| 380th AREFS -- 380th BW | |||
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On July 26, 1973, the first
of twenty KC-135Q models to arrive at Plattsburgh from McCoy AFB landed at
the base with the last arriving from the 306th Bomb Wing at McCoy AFB on
the 1st September.
The 380th AREFS was part of the
380th BW at Plattsburgh AFB, NY. |
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| 380th BW | |||
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WANTED
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380th
AREFS |
380th AREFS |
380th
AREFS
CHAMBER ANIMALS |
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I
HAVE IT
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I HAVE IT |
C LANGSTON
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| 9th ARS --- 456th BW/17th BW/100th ARW | |||
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Following a deactivation period from 1965 to 1970, the 9th flew the KC-135Q all jet tanker at Beale AFB, California. With its KC-135s, the 9th participated in several special operations involving flights to Southeast Asia. KC-135Q
Beale AFB,
456th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) 01 Jan 1970-30 Sep 1975
KC-135Q
Beale AFB,
17th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) 30 Sep 1975-30 Sep 1976
KC-135Q
Beale AFB,
100th Air Refueling Wing (Heavy) 30 Sep 1976-27 Jan 1982 |
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| 9th ARS | |||
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| 306th ARS ---306thBW | |||
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KC-135A/Q 306th BW McCoy AFB FLORIDA 1/07/1962- 30/09/1973 ALTUS AFB OKLAHOMA 01/10/1984-1992The 306th ARS provided refueling support for SR-71 operations flying from Beale AFB, California and the forward operating base of Kadena AB, Okinawa. In addition to operating out of McCoy, crews operated out of Eilson AFB, Alaska, Incirlik AB, Turkey, Kadena AB, Okinawa and Thule AB Greenland.
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| 306th ARS | |||
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306th
AREFS
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306th
AREFS
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306th ARS |
306th
ARS No outer Q |
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R GIROUARD | I HAVE IT | |
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306th STRATEGIC WING |
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In August 1976, the 306th was activated once again as the 306th Strategic Wing (SAC), Ramstein AB, Germany, with operational control for SAC air refueling and reconnaissance resources in the European Theatre. On 01 July 1978 the 306th SW’s headquarters moved to RAF Mildenhall, England. For most of this period the 306th SW operated KC-135s and RC-135s from RAF Mildenhall, Zaragoza AB, Spain and Hellinikon AB, Greece. The wing operated until February 1992, when the 100th Air Refueling Wing (USAFE- not SR-71 / U-2) assumed the wing's responsibilities. | ||
| 306th STRATEGIC WING | |||
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HAVE IT
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306th SW
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306 SW
RAF MILDENHALL |
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KC-135Q
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KC135Q /
SR-71
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KC-135Q
TANKER
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R
GIROUARD
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R GIROUARD | ||
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TEAM RECCE KC-135Q / SR-71 |
TEAM RECCE U-2 /KC-135Q / SR-71 |
TEAM RECCE KC-135Q / SR-71 |
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I HAVE IT
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I HAVE IT |
I HAVE IT
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| BILL ZURICH |
R
GIROUARD
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R GIROUARD | |
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WANTED
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WANTED
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WANTED
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KC135Q
0.77+ |
KC-135
Q
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KC135 Q |
KC-135Q
BEALE BANDITS 1967-1968 |
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R
GIROUARD
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R
GIROUARD
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R GIROUARD |
C HANNA CREW CHIEF KC-135Q, 59-1490 |
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BEALE
BANDITS
CREW 162 |
BEALE
BANDITS
Q
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KC-135Q NO ALERT
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J WEBB
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BEALE
BANDITS KC-135Q
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DEAD
MEN
"A" FLIGHT |
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J
WEBB
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KC 135Q SUPERTANKER
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KC 135Q
SUPERTANKER |
KC 135Q
SUPERTANKER
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KC-135
HABU HUMPER |
KC-135
HABU HUMPER |
KC-135
HABU HUMPER |
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R GIROUARD
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R GIROUARD
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| KC-135T Re-engined Q MODEL. | |||
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KC-135T
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KC-135T | ||
| R GIROUARD | R GIROUARD | ||
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| KC-10 TANKER | |||
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| KC-10 /SR-71 |
KC-10
/ SR-71
BOOM OPERATOR
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KC-10 / SR-71 INSTRUCTOR |
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| I HAVE IT | R GIROUARD | ||
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| KC-10 TEST TEAM | |||
I
HAVE IT
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| BEALE BANDITS | |||
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| BEALE BANDITS | B FLIGHT | BEALE BANDITS | |
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I
HAVE IT Thanks Bill
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C
LANGSTON
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BEALE BANDITS BANDITS IN HEAT DESERT SHIELD 1990 |
SADDAM
STALKERS DESERT SHIELD 90 BEALE BANDITS |
USAF ARABIAN KNIGHTS
DESERT SHIELD 90 BEALE BANDITS |
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| J WEBB | MARK LIS | ||
KC-135Q The KC-135Q was the variant modified to carry the JP-7 fuel necessary for the A-12 / SR-71 Blackbird, segregating the JP-7 from the KC-135's own fuel supply (the body tanks carrying JP-7, and the wing tanks carrying JP-4). When the KC-135Q model received the CFM-56 engines, it was redesignated the KC-135T model, which was capable of separating the main body tanks from the wing tanks where the KC-135 draws its engine fuel. THE SECTION BELOW IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH ANY INFORMATION OR CORRECTIONS
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4126th SW |
456th BW |
17th
BW |
306th
BW |
305th
ARW |
376th
SW |
380th
BW |
100th SRW | 100th SRW |
9th
SRW |
9th
OG |
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| PARTIAL Q | PARTIAL Q | PARTIAL Q | |||||||||
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58-0039 lost 3/06/71 |
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| 58-0042 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0045 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0046 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0047 | |||||||||||
| 58-0049 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0050 | |||||||||||
| 58-0054 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0055 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0060 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0061 | |||||||||||
| 58-0062 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0065 | |||||||||||
| 58-0069 | |||||||||||
| 58-0071 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0072 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0074 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0077 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0084 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0086 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0088 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0089 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0094 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0095 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0099 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0103 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0112 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0117 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 58-0125 | YES | ||||||||||
| 58-0129 | YES | ||||||||||
| 59-1460 | |||||||||||
| 59-1462 | YES | ||||||||||
| 59-1464 | YES | ||||||||||
| 59-1467 | YES | ||||||||||
| 59-1468 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 59-1470 | YES | ||||||||||
| 59-1471 | YES | ||||||||||
| 59-1474 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 59-1480 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 59-1490 | YES | YES | YES | YES | |||||||
| 59-1504 | YES | YES | YES | YES | |||||||
| 59-1510 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 59-1512 | YES | YES | YES | YES | |||||||
| 59-1513 | YES | YES | YES | YES | |||||||
| 59-1520 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | ||||||
| 59-1523 | YES | YES | YES | YES | |||||||
| 60-0335 | |||||||||||
| 60-0336 | YES | ||||||||||
| 60-0337 | |||||||||||
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60-0338 lost 2/08/80 |
YES | ||||||||||
| 60-0339 | YES | YES | |||||||||
| 60-0342 | YES | ||||||||||
| 60-0343 | YES | ||||||||||
| 60-0344 | |||||||||||
| 60-0345 | |||||||||||
| 60-0346 | |||||||||||
| AIRCRAFT SERIAL
IN GREEN WAS A PARTIAL "Q" All surviving KC-13Q's were converted to KC-135T's |
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