Boeing RC-135

An OC-135 Open Skies aircraft takes off Sept. 14, 2018 from the flight line at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The U.S. Air Force operates two modified Boeing 707 aircraft as part of the 1992 Open Skies treaty which allows 26 countries unrestricted overflight of domestic airspace to monitor military developments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Charles J. Haymond)

The Boeing RC-135 is a family of large reconnaissance aircraft built by Boeing and used by the United States Air Force to support theater and national level intelligence consumers with near real-time on-scene collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities. Based on the C-135 Stratolifter airframe, various types of RC-135s have been in service since 1961. Unlike the C-135 and KC-135 which are recognized by Boeing as the Model 717, the RC-135 is internally designated as the Model 739 by the company. Many variants have been modified numerous times, resulting in a large variety of designations, configurations, and program names.

Role Reconnaissance aircraft
Manufacturer Boeing
Status Active
Primary users United States Air Force
Royal Air Force (ordered)
Number built 32 total airframes in all iterations
Developed from C-135 Stratolifter

Specifications (RC-135)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 27: 3 pilots, 2 navigators, 22 rear-crew members
  • Length: 136 ft 3 in (41.53 m)
  • Wingspan: 130 ft 10 in (39.88 m)
  • Height: 41 ft 8 in (12.70 m)
  • Wing area: 2,433 ft² (226 m²)
  • Empty weight: 98,466 lb (44,663 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 297,000 lb (135,000 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 322,500 lb (146,000 kg)
  • Powerplant: 4 × CFM International F-108-CF-201 turbofan engines, 22,000 lbf (96 kN) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 580 mph (933 km/h)
  • Range: 3,450 mi (5,550 km)
  • Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,200 m)
  • Rate of climb: 4,900 ft/min (1,490 m/min)

Source

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