The KC-135 made routine high-speed aerial refueling a foundation of U.S. global air operations. Re-engining to the KC-135R standard improved fuel efficiency, noise, takeoff performance, and offload capability, extending the useful life of an airframe first delivered in the 1950s.
INTERACTIVE MODEL LOADS WHEN NEARBY
2016 / ModernAirframe B
F-35A Lightning II
Lockheed Martin · Conventional multirole fighter
HISTORICAL FIELD NOTE
The conventional-runway F-35A combines low-observable shaping, sensor fusion, and internal weapons carriage with the lightest airframe and largest internal fuel load of the three F-35 variants. It entered U.S. Air Force operational service in 2016 and is designed for both air-to-air and precision-strike missions.
PERFORMANCE
SPECIFICATION BREAKDOWN
METRICBoeing KC-135R StratotankerF-35A Lightning II
Top speed
530 mphREFERENCE VALUE
Mach 1.6REFERENCE VALUE
Ceiling
50,000 ftREFERENCE VALUE
50,000 ftREFERENCE VALUE
Range
1,500 mi with transfer fuelREFERENCE VALUE
1,200+ nmiAPPROXIMATE / PUBLISHED
Archive milestone
Service entry · 1957REFERENCE VALUE
Service entry · 2016REFERENCE VALUE
Nation
United StatesDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
United StatesDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Primary role
Aerial refueling tankerDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Conventional multirole fighterDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Values are concise archive references and can vary by variant, payload, configuration, altitude, operating conditions, and source. Range may describe different published measures where a directly comparable figure is unavailable.
