Probe-and-Drogue vs. Boom

[raptor10]

Why does the Air Force use the boom for aerial refueling, and the navy and rotw use the probe-and-drogue?

 

[Catmando]

Why does the Air Force use the boom for aerial refueling, and the navy and rotw use the probe-and-drogue?

Curtis LeMay and SAC, vis-a-vis US Navy initiative and ingenuity.

(A good question, so pardon my flip answer; others will fill you in)

 

[Singer6]

The airforce doesn't trust their pilots to plug....

I really think that since we have carrier based refueling platforms we don't really have the option of the drouge system.

 

[EODDave]

The Navy doesnt have a carrier based AC with enough room for a boom operator like the KC's.

 

[squorch2]

It's because the AF has much heavier a/c than the Navy. As such, it's easier to move the probe around than the aircraft than vice versa.

 

[HeyJoe]

Originally, the USAF used probe and drogue like rest of the world, but advent of B-47 and B-52 led them to experiment with the boom idea as those aircraft were less maneuverable. Yeager flew some of the first tests and talks about it in his biography. After boom was introduced, the F-105 was equipped to use either method during the transition period.

 

[DanMa1156]

There was thread about this somewhere...

ended up deeming that Navy planes are boys and AF planes are girls.


But seriously, look around, I remember a thread like that somwhere around here recently.

 

[AllAmerican75]

There was thread about this somewhere...

ended up deeming that Navy planes are boys and AF planes are girls.


But seriously, look around, I remember a thread like that somwhere around here recently.

I remember that thread. That was a great thread.
Here it is:
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15291&highlight=refueling

 

[Piperdriver]

Why does the Air Force use the boom for aerial refueling, and the navy and rotw use the probe-and-drogue?

I wonder why we don't use this method anymore, seems like a pretty simple system that doesn't cost much to maintain.

http://lisar.larc.nasa.gov/MOVIES/SMALL/LV-1998-00121.mov

 

[Brett327]

I wonder why we don't use this method anymore, seems like a pretty simple system that doesn't cost much to maintain.

http://lisar.larc.nasa.gov/MOVIES/SMALL/LV-1998-00121.mov

Yeah, I'd like to see that guy carry 16,000 Lbs of gas on his back.

Brett

 

[A4sForever]

Because the Air Force is gay ..... :icon_rast

 

[Piperdriver]

Yeah, I'd like to see that guy carry 16,000 Lbs of gas on his back.

Brett

You'd need a few of those guys to refuel a Buff or C5.

 

[A4sForever]

Because I'm gay .... ???? :icon_rast

 

[raptor10]

Because I'm gay .... ???? :icon_rast

I know you've been out for a while, (no pun intended) but DADT dude...

 

[Brett327]

I know you've been out for a while, (no pun intended) but DADT dude...

What is this predilection for "duding" senior officers lately?

Brett