2007-03-24 18:17:08 · 9 answers · asked by Mere Mortal 7 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
It was NOT a FUEL BOOM. It was a Refueling Probe.
The Refueling BOOM is the Item on the KC-135 That the Boom Operator "flys" into position for the Refueling of Aircraft.
The Probe is used to refuel from a Refueling Aircraft such as a HC-130, KA-6, or KC-135.
The Tanker Aircraft reels out a hose on which there is a Basket or Refueling Drogue. The Helo pilot then flys the Probe into the Basket makes contact and the fuel is feed to the receiving Aircraft.
Most USAF Fixed wing Aircraft use a Hard Boom where the Boom is inserted into the Receiver.
Only Helicopters and the US Navy use the Hose and Probe method. It allows for Less fuel flow per min but works better at Low speeds.
2007-03-24 19:49:12 · answer #1 · answered by Wolf of the Black Moon 4 · 5⤊ 2⤋
The majority of US military helo's have refueling probes. For your information, Sea Kings have been retired from the US arsenal, so it could not have been that.
The models mentioned for refueling are correct, however, more correctly, only the KC-130 is usually used to refuel helicopters, the KC-135 has a difficult time getting that slow to refuel, so the Marine's use the fuel droug on there KC-130's. I believe the Air Force has KC-130's as well, but the ones that I've plugged into on an MH-53E were Marine Corpss KC-130.
As far as what you saw, It could have been been any of the following aircraft in its different varients:
H-60 (not all models) (USAF, USN, ARMY)
MH-47 (ARMY)
MH/CH-53D/E/J (Navy, Marines, Air Force)
H-3 Sea Kings in the Navy have been retired as of September 2006. The last one flew for HC-2 in Norfolk, VA. I was present for the aircraft retirement cerimony!
H-46's never had a refueling probe.
I fly on MH-53E's.
2007-03-25 09:34:25 · answer #2 · answered by Scott S 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Scott is entirely correct about the refueling probe with helicopters, the basket of a KC-130 plugs into the refueling probe. Additionally, the fuel probe extends and retracts on MH-53E and CH-53E models. There may be a few additional helicopters out there that are capable of aerial refueling with this method, however he hit the nail on the head with the American models.
2007-03-25 13:59:24 · answer #3 · answered by Aaron Hall 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the military, large airplanes called tankers such as the KC-135 have huge stores of fuel instead of cargo, basically flying gas stations. The tanker has a large hose that is in the back and controlled by a crew member. The tanker crew moves the hose until it hooks up with the fuel boom on the other aircraft and refuels it in flight. This helps extend the range of aircraft, mostly bombers though. Durign the first Gulf War, pilots in Missouri were able to make bomb runs to Iraq and return back home the same or next day by using this method.
2007-03-25 01:23:28 · answer #4 · answered by Kevin 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Used to refuel during flight from a tanker plane. Watch the movie 'The perfect Storm'. They show it in the movie.
2007-03-25 01:20:14 · answer #5 · answered by PJ 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it is used for air to air refueling, like an insertion point for the fuel plane to stick his end of the pump in... dangerous though...
2007-03-25 08:05:32 · answer #6 · answered by chaoyiwang 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For refueling in the air. They were Sea Kings.
2007-03-25 01:20:06 · answer #7 · answered by madbaldscotsman 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
KC130 refuel hoses are in what looks like outboard fuel tanks.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://members.aol.com/samc130/kc130.gif&imgrefurl=http://members.aol.com/samc130/usmc.html&h=297&w=480&sz=173&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=OOww_ZvrXQLN-M:&tbnh=80&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3DKC130%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN
2007-03-25 01:52:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I would say that was a nose mounted pitot tube
2007-03-25 03:14:21 · answer #9 · answered by cherokeeflyer 6 · 3⤊ 3⤋