Free Flight, Free Speech

Yup
Cheers, Josh

And ... before I withdraw back into my tinker-corner ...
The An-124 freighter flies now really nice (a bit weird due to size/weight though) and I am setting up a tanker version before I push (probably somewhere around middle of next week). So, we have at least one smaller tanker (KC-137s) and one bigger (Ruslan-F) at the time of the flight on the ferry route going all the way. I am also making the tanker refuelable so we can meet up with supply routes (for those who don't have the time to go the whole way) and refill the gas station.

KB7 ... I don't know if a fighter counts, you have to ask Israel about the plane types, but I think, this is a truck-driver leg

I might bring a KC-137R-RT

KB7 wrote:Sorry I got so delayed... I was doing some flight testing for Jwocky but got delayed by other things in life. I intend to be a tanker pilot for this flight if needed. However, real life may interfere with me being able to do the flight - it may not either. I hope to know soon.

What I had found (all the test data comes from starting course KDSM-PGSN direct, 270 knots IAS, goal altitude 32,000, calculated data is after climbout and leveling in most cases i.e. real constant climb to altitude and then calculate total remaining distance based on the fuel left after climbout.):

IL-76. Cockpit marginal at best and where's the damn compass? On 80% fuel tank made 1836 nmi to crash, 4251 nmi remains. Appears to require 2.36 full refuels at 100% load (3.31 at 80% load.) Did not confirm that with consumption calculation testing - which I'd hold with the way I do it to be as-if-not-more accurate than fly-to-crash testing. There are nice aspects to the -76 as well. I'd love to recenter a view to view out the nose windows.... But range as is doesn't seem to cut it.

....snip....

. (Well, I'll finish browsing new forum topics first... )

OK, notes on the Il76MD:

Not sure which version KB7 is running, is it Helijah's or Herby's?

Herby's has a full set of working gyro and magnetic compasses, and a fairly well equipped cockpit, some of the compasses which are in the Navigators view/panel. Like I said earlier, the aero on the Il76MD is bugged-up. I have done some adjustments. I've tuned it to be close to what little information I could glean from the www. Apparently it has a range of about 4400 nM but not much information on whether if the range is in standard cruise mode with cargo, or ferry range.

If flown for ferry fuel economy, then you would do what the Russians do, which is eke out a nominal climb to cruise altitude at about 2000 fpm at about 0.56 mach after initially taking off and climbing to 5k from departure on full power. Full fuel load, no cargo. I can estimate about 5500nm if I keep the average mach @ 0.7 while keeping an eye on the power levels as the fuel weight bleeds off. I still will need to refuel or land somewhere and top up a little to make the entire flight.

Are you noticing the average wind speed aloft and direction? 40% of the trip is directly into an average Westerly 50 knot headwind. this is going to kill everyone's fuel range.

jwocky wrote:
KB7 ... I don't know if a fighter counts, you have to ask Israel about the plane types, but I think, this is a truck-driver leg

Fighters count

And we have plenty of tankers so I guess the Tour may need more volunteers to enjoy these and do some AAR exercises over the Pacific....

Looking forward for the Tour,
IH-COL

IAHM-COL wrote:Fighters count

And we have plenty of tankers so I guess the Tour may need more volunteers to enjoy these and do some AAR exercises over the Pacific....

Looking forward for the Tour,
IH-COL

Oprf crew would be interested

I am tomorrow doing some technical test with the An-124 tanker. The KC-137 basically only use the generic aar system. I don't know which fighters have generic/707TT/JWocky and which ones have Onox. So we have to check beforehand.
I make the An-124 tanker compatible to the system, the KC-137 has, so, in other words, what can suck from one can suck from the other as well.

@SkyBoat: We check also on the KC-10? Just in case you want to use that one?

We need urgently reference-receivers? Which planes can refuel out of the KC-137 at the moment?

KC-10 needs a lot of work ATM. Waiting for Skyboat to have time to work with me, so we can fix it.

Which air forces count? Only USAF, or any air force? e.g. the Canadian air force had 707 troupe transporters. Do they count? And what about maybe some African country using 777's? And what about AIR FORCE one's? Japan uses 777 for their air force one. Whether one or more, it is still air force.

Kind regards, Vincent

Any Airforce counts.