Classic British Flight Sim

Technically the E-3 is based off of the C-137 airframe or the 707-320 series..



Nice Pic!! :dance:

Jonathan

Crash_Hawk wrote:Technically the E-3 is based off of the C-137 airframe or the 707-320 series..

Yep.....I mentioned that before about the 137 but these are more like the 707-700

Garry

Garry Russell wrote:No James

It's built as military so it would be based on a C-137.......707's are airliners

Garry

C-137 = 707-320. There was no difference between the two except avionics fit.

In fact, I do believe that all of the RAF E-3s were converted from formerly civilian registered and operated aircraft, just like the USAF's aircraft. There were only a very small handfull of aircraft delivered as C-137s from the factory, and most were in the VC-137 guise for several countries in addition to the famous pair that saw service as "Air Force One".

The RAF wer new build about the last off the line and have the CFM56 engines like the 707-700 and i said based on the C-137 rather than the airliner version which these never were.

Garry

The two VC-137C (26000 and 27000) were based on the 707-320.
http://www.707sim.com/air-force-two.html

The earlier 86970 thru 86973 (fiscal year 1958) were apparently based on the 707-120,so shorter fuselage.

They were frequent visitors to Heathrow in the 1970/80s. They must have been Air Force One in those days before the VC-137C.

Whole range of military Boeing 707 variants here:
http://www.air-and-space.com/Boeing%207 ... litary.htm

As Garry says all the E-3 were new builds.

It is the other variants that were ex airliners.

Cheers Ian

The point I was originally making as well about E-3 being based on the C137 military version was to differentiate from the C-135 which some folk think the E-3 is based on.

The 707 had a wider fuse than the C-135 which used the same basic fuse of the 367-80.

These were some of the few 707 derivatives built with the CFM-56 making the closest 707 variant the 700 rather than the 320 which the base C-137 was a version of. Of course the E-3 was not at all like the airliner apart from the base structure.

This must surely make the RAF built ones among the most advanced of the type....as built.

Garry

Robin wrote:Aren't we the only air force to have the refuelling probe on the E3?

How about the French ones?

L'Armee de l'Air have KC-135 tankers with short hoses and drogues trailing off the end of the booms as I recall. Originally set up to fuel the Mirage IVs but work also on the 2000Ds and Ns.

I think the point was that the RAF E-3s are the only ones that can be refuelled as well as doing the refuelling

Hi Ian

Concur

That's the message I got......it has both types of receptors.

Garry