US Air Force begins decommissioning KC-10 Extender tanker aircraft

The US Air Force has begun decommissioning the KC-10 Extender tanker aircraft, which are gradually being replaced by the new KC-46 Pegasus tankers. As NPlus1 reports with reference to Air Force Magazine, on July 13, 2020, the Air Force command decommissioned the first KC-10 Extender.

According to the report, the first decommissioned KS-10 tanker served 33 years, having flown more than 33 thousand hours during this time. According to official information, this aircraft, numbered 860036, has refueled about 125 different aircraft in the air during its service.

After a decommissioning ceremony at an airbase in New Jersey, the decommissioned aircraft was sent to Arizona to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Repair Group (AMARG) site, better known as the "aircraft graveyard."

According to the US Air Force Command, a total of 59 KS-10 Extender aircraft are planned to be decommissioned. The decommissioned aircraft will not be transferred to third countries, all of them will be sent to Arizona, where some of them will be mothballed, and the rest will be taken apart for parts for the first.

The Extender fuel-refueling aircraft was developed in the late 70s of the 20th century on the basis of the DC-10 passenger aircraft. Introduced into service in 1981. The aircraft is 55,4 meters long, has a wingspan of 50,4 meters and a height of 17,7 meters. The flight speed is 866 km / h, the flight range is up to 7,1 thousand km. Max. takeoff weight - 268,9 tons. The KC-10 is capable of carrying up to 165,5 tons of fuel.

Comments

[Reserve buildbat]

The first decommissioned tanker flew for 33 years, 1000 hours a year, and managed to refuel about 125 aircraft. Beauty! He refueled about 4 planes every hour. And so 33 years))) The "cow" had a rich life

[NF68]

Quote: stock buildbat

The first decommissioned tanker flew for 33 years, 1000 hours a year, and managed to refuel about 125 aircraft. Beauty! He refueled about 4 planes every hour. And so 33 years))) The "cow" had a rich life

33 years x 365 days x 24 hours x4 aircraft refueled within an hour - somehow it is impossible to have 4 aircraft refueled every hour.

[Grazdanin]

125000 hours were divided into 33000 aircraft.

[NF68]

Quote: Grazdanin

125000 hours were divided into 33000 aircraft.

During takeoff and landing, he obviously could not refuel anyone. And he did not refuel immediately after takeoff or before landing. Here, as it were, 7-8 or even more planes per hour did not refuel.

[Nastia makarova]

absolutely chtoli)))) what 33 thousand planes)))) it is written that 125 planes in 33 years refueled

[Grazdanin]

Well done, noticed a typo, put a plus sign in your diary.

[Nastia makarova]

well thanks, I'll put this plus sign in a frame

[NF68]

Quote: Nastia Makarova

According to the report, the first decommissioned KS-10 tanker served 33 years, having flown more than 33 thousand hours during this time. According to official information, this aircraft, numbered 860036, has refueled about 125 different aircraft in the air during its service.

According to the report, the first decommissioned KS-10 tanker served 33 years, having flown more than 33 thousand hours during this time. According to official information, this aircraft, numbered 860036, has refueled about 125 different aircraft in the air during its service.

[Mavrikiy]

Stroybat set the tone, I will try, although I was not a specialist and was not interested in aviation:

served 33 years, having flown over 33 thousand hours during this time. According to official information, this aircraft, numbered 860036, has refueled about 125 different aircraft in the air during its service.

125 pieces / 000 years = 33 pieces / year. Yes, in 3788 hours almost 1000 pieces. planes refueled. 4 pcs / hour Well, pumps work wonders, and most likely pressurization. Well, if it pulls 000 tons of fuel, then it can refuel 4 aircraft during the flight.

[NF68]

Quote: Mavrikiy

Stroybat set the tone, I will try, although I was not a specialist and was not interested in aviation:

served 33 years, having flown over 33 thousand hours during this time. According to official information, this aircraft, numbered 860036, has refueled about 125 different aircraft in the air during its service.

125 pieces / 000 years = 33 pieces / year. Yes, in 3788 hours almost 1000 pieces. planes refueled. 4 pcs / hour Well, pumps work wonders, and most likely pressurization. Well, if it pulls 000 tons of fuel, then it can refuel 4 aircraft during the flight.

Fighters refuel clearly faster than larger aircraft, which require much more kerosene. In addition, the tanker plane is always higher than the plane it is refueling. Maybe the pumps are not too stressed when pumping kerosene into the aircraft being refueled.

[Mavrikiy]

Quote: NF68

In addition, the tanker plane is always higher than the plane it is refueling. Maybe the pumps are not too stressed

Gravity? disagree, weak pressure. Rather, the tanks are pressurized by an oncoming stream. The pumps are good, but the cavitation

[mehan]

Do you think that aircraft tanks are the same as in a car? Tin containers?
Alas, it is not.

[NF68]

Quote: Mavrikiy

Quote: NF68

In addition, the tanker plane is always higher than the plane it is refueling. Maybe the pumps are not too stressed

Gravity? disagree, weak pressure. Rather, the tanks are pressurized by an oncoming stream. The pumps are good, but the cavitation

Most likely, the pumps are still working. This allows you to more accurately control the amount transferred to the aircraft being refueled. A powerful pump is not needed here.

[Piramidon]

Quote: Stroibat stock

The first decommissioned tanker flew 33 years, 1000 hours per year

Fuck! What is his assigned resource?

[Jack O'Neill]

The veteran has served the country well!

[Galleon]

Great is the country of America, there is where to put the decommissioned

[Nastia makarova]

as it is not economical))) not to be melted down and used again. Why keep such a cemetery, how many percent of this can be exploited again?

[Galleon]

Just economically, Nastya. Ha, you should have seen the coast of our Far East - how much scrap metal is lying around in the form of ship skeletons. Not every steamer will make it to the cutting at Alang. Airplanes are still placed neatly, they don't just leave them.

[Grazdanin]

Quote: Galleon

Airplanes are still placed neatly, they don't just leave them.

They stand there for conservation, can be used as donors of spare parts or be restored if necessary.

[Nastia makarova]

okay if you can conserve recently decommissioned but very ancient for what? planes of the second world and 50 years?

[Grazdanin]

Quote: Nastia Makarova

very ancient for what? WWII aircraft

Collectors will buy.

Quote: Nastia Makarova

50 years old?

Tu 95 First flight November 12, 1952
B-52 First flight April 15, 1952

[Piramidon]

Quote: Nastia Makarova

okay if you can conserve recently decommissioned but very ancient for what? planes of the second world and 50 years?

Where did you see the planes of the 2nd World War? And the aircraft developed in the 50-60s are in service with us.

[Galleon]

Donors of thirty years old spare parts for whom? It is possible that for some time they will be considered for conservation if conservation measures were carried out on them after placing at this parking lot. In these parking lots the planes are in different degrees for takeoff. The F-16s may still fly, but the Phantoms - where should they fly? Type in "airplane graveyard in Arizona" in Yandex - see for yourself.

[Grazdanin]

https://topwar.ru/20882-aviabaza-devis-monten-vzlet-razreshayu.html
Read a good article. 30 years normal service life. There are planes that other countries will not write off for the next 10-20 years.

[Galleon]

Thanks for the link.

[Nastia makarova]

I agree that it is easier to throw ships ashore than to cut them, but there the metal is just iron and here, after all, there are various technological alloys, and probably only Indians cut

[Galleon]

Quote: Nastia Makarova

probably only Indians cut

More Chittagong, Bangladesh. The coast is comfortable and a lot of poor people for penny heavy work.

[Grazdanin]

https://topwar.ru/62361-sostav-neaktivnogo-flota-ssha.html

How they deal with ships.

[garm]

The climate there is unique, almost everything can be revived.

[Nastia makarova]

to revive the planes of the Second World War? there is a lot of ancient

[Grazdanin]

The fleet of equipment at the base is divided into 4 categories:

Long-term conservation (potentially combat-ready equipment)
Short-term conservation (potentially combat-ready equipment)
Aircraft - spare parts donors (gradually disassembled, incapable of combat)
Appliances for sale
According to the data on the official website, for every dollar spent on the maintenance of the 309th group, the base earns $ 11 by selling parts and remanufactured aircraft.
https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Девис-Монтен

[Nastia makarova]

if for sale it's another matter, the Americans will be able to shove someone and, moreover, for a dear

[Alexey RA]

Quote: Nastia Makarova

as it is not economical))) not to be melted down and used again.

Why destroy what you can use?

Quote: Nastia Makarova

Why keep such a cemetery, how many percent of this can be exploited again?

Almost everything that has passed the standard procedure of conservation before storing. The climate there is unique - low humidity and almost complete absence of precipitation. Plus a very hard soil, which allows you not to concrete storage areas.
There are 4 categories for stored equipment:

Long-term conservation (potentially combat-ready equipment)
Short-term conservation (potentially combat-ready equipment)
Aircraft - spare parts donors (gradually disassembled, incapable of combat)
Appliances for sale

[Piramidon]

Quote: Nastia Makarova

as it is not economical))) no to remelt and use again

The plane cannot be assembled from the fused briquettes. And then a little MOT and forward.

[Charik]

only yesterday they shouted that they would defeat the Chinese by themselves

[NF68]

In the United States, most of the country has a dry climate. This is a big plus for long-term storage of equipment.

[sg7s]

The "old man" spoiled his nerves at one time, only the door to the outside took away how many lives ... There is probably no ill fame in civil aviation, if only the Tu-104 ...

[Old26]

Quote: Nastia Makarova

absolutely chtoli)))) what 33 thousand planes)))) it is written that 125 planes in 33 years refueled

I don't know how it was originally, but now it is written

According to the message, the first decommissioned KS-10 tanker served 33 years old, having flown over 33 thousand hours during this time... According to official information, this aircraft, numbered 860036, refueled in the air during its service. about 125 thousand different aircraft.

Quote: Nastia Makarova

as it is not economical))) not to be melted down and used again. Why keep such a cemetery, how many percent of this can be exploited again?

Sufficient. At least if necessary, the Americans can restore the airworthiness of about fifty B-52 and B-1B bombers. Some of the planes in this "cemetery" after the measures taken are generally intended for sale. It all depends on which "zone" he falls into. Depending on this, either conservation, or disposal, or sale (in this case, the sale does not apply to KS-10).
And besides, it is easier to restore the airworthiness of the same strategist in a couple of months than to saw it, and then assemble a new one for a couple of years ...

Quote: Piramidon

Where did you see the planes of the 2nd World War? And the aircraft developed in the 50-60s are in service with us.

Yet there is a very small number and there are WWII aircraft. But these are just a few. need to look at the site of this airbase. But there seem to be several B-29s.

Quote: Galleon

Type "airplane graveyard in Arizona" in Yandex - see for yourself

It's easier to type the site of the Davis-Montan airbase, and not the "graveyard of planes". The site has all the data. starting from numbers and ending with information, what they are suitable for

[Grazdanin]

Quote: Old26

The site has all the data. starting from the numbers and ending with information about what they are suitable for

Share a link?

Excursion from VO in 4 parts. An engineer is happy when he sees how carefully they treat technology.
https://topwar.ru/64835-baza-devis-monteynhranilische-samoletov-ch1-zona-dlitelnogo-hraneniya-i-vosstanovleniya.html

[Old26]

Quote: Grazdanin

Share a link?

I'll try. There was a link to this air force base somewhere in the bookmarks. Moreover, indicating the zones, their numbers, which aircraft are located there, when they are placed, their numbers and status. I'll try tomorrow (or rather today) to find ... And this is still a base site, not an article on VO ...