Boeing KC-46 Pegasus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_KC-46_Pegasus

The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is a military aerial refueling and strategic military
transport aircraft developed by Boeing from its 767 jet airliner. In February
2011, the tanker was selected by the United States Air Force (USAF) as the
winner in the KC-X tanker competition to replace older Boeing KC-135
Stratotankers. The first aircraft was to be delivered to the Air Force in August
2017, but was delayed until 10 January 2019.

The Pegasus is a variant of the Boeing 767 and is a widebody, low-wing
cantilever monoplane with a conventional tail unit featuring a single fin and
rudder. It has a retractable tricycle landing gear and a hydraulic flight
control system. The Pegasus is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW4062 engines,
one mounted under each wing.

The flightdeck has room for a crew of four with a forward crew compartment with
seats for 15 crews members and in the rear fuselage either palletized passenger
seating for 58, or 18 pallets in cargo configuration. The rear compartment can
also be used in an aero-medical configuration for 54 patients (24 on litters).

At the rear of the aircraft is a fly-by-wire refueling boom supplemented by Wing
Air Refueling Pods at each wingtip and a Centreline Drogue System under the rear
fuselage.


Role
Air-to-air tanker, strategic airlift

Manufacturer
Boeing Defense, Space & Security

First flight
25 September 2015

Introduction
2019

Status
In testing

Primary user
United States Air Force

Produced
2013–present

Unit cost

US$147.4 million (ave. cost, FY16)
US$241.1M (with R&D)


Developed from
Boeing KC-767

On 29 October 2015, the USAF announced that Seymour Johnson Air Force Base,
North Carolina, was chosen as the preferred alternative for the first
Reserve-led KC-46A Pegasus main operating base. The KC-46As will begin arriving
at Seymour Johnson in fiscal year 2019. Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma;
Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts; and Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana,
were named as the reasonable alternatives. The Air Force plans to begin the
Environmental Impact Analysis Process (EIAP). Once the requirements of the EIAP
are complete, the Air Force will make its final basing decision.

On 10 January 2019, the USAF took delivery of the first KC-46, albeit with two
issues outstanding and money withheld. The two outstanding issues were
inadequate boom pressure when refueling the A-10 Warthog and glare induced
distortion under certain conditions in the remote vision system (RVS). The Air
Force has acknowledged that they failed to give Boeing adequate specifications
for the A-10. At milestone C, Boeing gave the Air Force a boom design that used
the international standard of 1400 lbs of thrust resistance, which they
accepted, but A-10 is only able to generate 650 lbs.

On 25 January, the 22d Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB received their first
two KC-46As (15-46009 and 17-46031). A further two (17-46030 and 16-46022) were
delivered 6 days later.

On 3 February, the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB received their first
KC-46.

Specifications

General characteristics
Crew: 3 (2 pilots, 1 boom operator) basic crew; 15 permanent seats for
additional/optional air crew members, including aeromedical evacuation crew
members
Capacity: seating for up to 114 people, 18 463L pallets, or 58 patients (24
litters, 34 ambulatory)
Payload: 65,000 lb (29,500 kg)
Length: 165 ft 6 in (50.5 m)
Wingspan: 157 ft 8 in (48.1 m)
Height: 52 ft 1 in (15.9 m)
Empty weight: 181,610 lb (82,377 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 415,000 lb (188,240 kg)
Fuel Capacity: 212,299 lb (96,297 kg)
Maximum Transfer Fuel Load: 207,672 lb (94,198 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney PW4062 turbofan, 63,300 lbf (282 kN) each

Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 0.86 (570 mph, 914 km/h)
Cruise speed: Mach 0.80 (530 mph, 851 km/h)
Range: 6,385 nmi (11,830 km) ; global with in flight refueling
Service ceiling: 40,100 ft (12,200 m)




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