Whats the better way to aerial refuel? Basket or whatever the

>>33208030
I'm an electrician working on that plane, ask me anything

>>33208030
>>>/n/

>>33208070
Correct that on KC-46 still though my offer stands

You just don't do it at all, build planes with bigger fuel tanks & better fuel efficiency.

>>33208081
What went wrong?

>>33208077
idiot.

>>33208030
The USN probably *would* have gone to the (largely superior) boom system, but you can't operate large tankers from a carrier; naval tankers, whether dedicated variants of light bombers/recon planes or fighters carrying "buddy stores", have never had room for a boom system and the tail-gunner operator. So, they're stuck with the drogue-and-probe.

Now, they've been testing an autopilot the last few years that is capable of hitting the drogue by itself in some of the worst weather conditions imaginable; so, things should be getting better on that front at some point. I don't know whether/when that software will be integrated into the F-35, though.

>>33208030

Boom can supply more fuel faster, but it is too big to fit on carrier based aircraft. Basket systems are also cheaper to refit on anything from buddy refueling fighter to wide-body airliner.

>I feel like the basket is a nightmare to dock to with wind.

Same applies to boom. Boom just shares the nightmare of docking between pilot of refueled aircraft and boom operator.

>>33208140
>What went wrong?

Everything. KC-X is easily the most fucked up US military procurement program of all time. Corruption, politics, more corruption, more politics and even more corruption.

>>33208361
Will it work once Boeing unfucks itself?

>>33208140
50k a year engineers
Walmart 1980s style board of directors

>>33208030
>>I feel like the basket is a nightmare to dock to with wind.
>>Refueling at 200 MPH

How could it ever be not windy when they are moving at that speed??

File: Westland P.12 Wendover (Lysander).jpg (66KB, 800x500px) Image search: [Google]

66KB, 800x500px

>>33208212
>whether dedicated variants of light bombers/recon planes or fighters carrying "buddy stores", have never had room for a boom system and the tail-gunner operator.
Well not with THAT attitude...

>>33209267
>Will it work once Boeing unfucks itself?

KC-46 is exactly about Boeing unfucking itself, at cost of tax payers. They managed to get inferior plane selected over clearly superior plane in competition.

It is a lot about providing jobs in democrat controlled states and providing well paid consulting jobs for staff officers and civilian DoD administrators involved in procurement program.