The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic

tanker aircraft This is a list of tanker aircraft used for aerial refuelling of another aircraft whilst in powered flight. Refueling methods ;Looped hose: The first commercial method employed a hose which was held slack in a trailing half-loop behind both air ...

based on the Boeing

C-97 Stratofreighter The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long-range heavy military cargo aircraft developed from the B-29 and B-50 bombers. Design work began in 1942, the first of three prototype XC-97s flew on 9 November 1944 (none saw combat), and the first of s ...

. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of trans ...

Design and development

The KC-97 Stratofreighter was an

aerial refueling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...

tanker variant of the C-97 Stratofreighter (which was itself based on the

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...

), greatly modified with all the necessary tanks, plumbing, and a

flying boom Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...

first developed for the KB-29 bomber. The cavernous upper deck was capable of accommodating oversize cargo accessed through a very large right-side door. In addition, transferable jet fuel was contained in tanks on the lower deck (G-L models). Both decks were heated and pressurized for high altitude operations. The boom operator lay prone, viewing operations through a window at the bottom of the tail, a configuration later used on the

KC-135 The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transport ...

''Note: Occasionally the KC-97 has been referred to as "Stratotanker". However, all reputable sources refer to the KC-97 as Stratofreighter, not -tanker. This includes both Boeing and the USAF themselves.''

Operational history

76th Tactical Fighter Squadron A-7D 71-0314 Refueling

The USAF began operating the KC-97 in 1950. It purchased a total of 811 KC-97s from Boeing,Bach, p. 12 as opposed to only 74 of the C-97 cargo version.Bach, p. 4-7 The KC-97 carried

aviation gasoline Avgas (aviation gasoline, also known as aviation spirit in the UK) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. ''Avgas'' is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, whi ...

for its own

piston engines A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common feat ...

but it carried

jet fuel Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial a ...

for its refueling mission, this required an independent system for each type of fuel. However in an emergency, it was able to also offload its aviation gas to a receiver in a procedure universally known as a "save". These tankers were vitally important to the world-wide Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic operations. An example was the support of Arctic reconnaissance flights from Thule Air Base. While it was an effective tanker, the KC-97's slow speed and low operational altitude complicated refueling operations with jet aircraft. B-52s typically lowered their flaps and rear landing gear to slow the aircraft enough to refuel from the KC-97. In addition, a typical B-52 refueling engagement profile would involve a descent that allowed the aircraft pair to maintain a higher airspeed (220–240 knots). In the early 1960s, the

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 Ju ...

added

General Electric J47 The General Electric J47 turbojet (GE company designation TG-190) was developed by General Electric from its earlier J35. It first flew in May 1948. The J47 was the first axial-flow turbojet approved for commercial use in the United States. It ...

two twin- jet pods from retired KB-50 aerial tankers to produce the KC-97L. These jet pods increased the speed of the KC-97 (for short periods of time) and made it more compatible with jet fighter planes like the F-84, F-100, and F-101. In 1956, the

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...

began phasing out its KC-97s in favor of the KC-135 Stratotanker. KC-97s continued flying with Tactical Air Command, the

Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commi ...

, and the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

. The rest of the KC-97s were retired completely in 1978, when the

Texas Air National Guard The Texas Air National Guard (TX ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Texas, United States of America. It is, along with the Texas Army National Guard, an element of the Texas National Guard. No element of the Texas Air National Guard is ...

and the Utah Air National Guard exchanged their KC-97Ls for the

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...

and the KC-135 Stratotanker, respectively. One KC-97 airframe (AF Ser. No. 52-0828) was adapted into the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy, a transport plane designed to carry Apollo Program rocket stages from California to Florida. The aircraft carried the Saturn S-IVB stage, which served as the second stage of the

Saturn IB The Saturn IB (also known as the uprated Saturn I) was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Apollo program. It uprated the Saturn I by replacing the S-IV second stage (, 43 ...

, the third stage of the

Saturn V Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon. The rocket was human-rated, with multistage rocket, three stages, and powered with liquid-propellant r ...

, and the fourth stage for the never-built Nova rocket. This modified KC-97, constructed in 1953, was eventually purchased by NASA in 1997. It is still in service supporting NASA, other Federal agencies, and Federal contractors. It is one of two KC-97s left still in flyable condition, the other being former KC-97G 52-2718, "Angel of Deliverance", currently flown by Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation as YC-97A 45-59595.

Variants

;KC-97A: Three C-97As were converted into aerial refueling tankers with rear loading door removed and a flight refueling boom added. After the design was proven, they were converted back into the standard C-97A. ;KC-97E: aerial refueling tankers with rear loading doors permanently closed, 60 built. Some were later converted into transports as the C-97E. ;KC-97F: 3800 hp R-4360-59B engines and minor changes, 159 built. Some were later converted into transport as the C-97F. ;KC-97G: Dual-role aerial refueling tankers/cargo transportation aircraft. KC-97G models carried underwing fuel tanks. 592 built. ;EC-97G: ELINT conversion of three KC-97Gs. 53-106 was operated by the Central Intelligence Agency for covert ELINT operations in the West Berlin Air Corridor. ;C-97G: 135 KC-97Gs converted to transports. ;GKC-97G: Five KC-97Gs were used as ground instruction airframes. ;JKC-97G: One aircraft was modified to test the underwing General Electric J47-GE-23 jet engines, and was later designated KC-97L. ;HC-97G: KC-97Gs converted for search and rescue operations, 22 converted. ;KC-97H: One KC-97F was experimentally converted into a hose-and-drogue refueling aircraft. ;YC-97J: two KC-97G conversion with four 4250 kW Pratt & Whitney YT34-P-5 turboprops, dropped in favour of the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. ;C-97K: 27 KC-97Gs converted to troop transports. ;KC-97L: 81 KC-97Gs modified with two J47 turbojet engines on underwing pylons.

Operators

; *

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...

; *

Spanish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

; *

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

The following USAF wing organizations flew the various KC-97 models at some time during their existence:

Active duty

* 2d Bombardment Wing (Medium) –

Hunter AFB Hunter Army Airfield , located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart located in Hinesville, Georgia. Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet (3,468 m) long and an aircr ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

(1953–1963) **

2d Air Refueling Squadron The 2nd Air Refueling Squadron, sometimes written as 2d Air Refueling Squadron, is a unit of the United States Air Force. It is part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The 2nd Air Refueling Squadro ...

* 9th Bombardment Wing (Medium) –

Mountain Home AFB Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation in the western United States. Located in southwestern Idaho in Elmore County, the base is southwest of Mountain Home, which is southeast of Boise via Interstat ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Monta ...

(1954–1965) ** 9th Air Refueling Squadron * 11th Air Refueling Wing – Altus AFB,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

(1957–1958) **

96th Air Refueling Squadron The 96th Air Refueling Squadron was a unit of PACAF's 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii in partnership with the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron and 154th Maintenance Group of the Hawaii Air National Guard. It was inactivated ...

* 19th Bombardment Wing (Medium) –

Homestead AFB Homestead Air Reserve Base (Homestead ARB), previously known as Homestead Air Force Base (Homestead AFB) is located in Miami–Dade County, Florida to the northeast of the city of Homestead. It is home to the 482nd Fighter Wing (482 FW) of th ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

(1955–1961) **

19th Air Refueling Squadron The 19th Air Refueling Squadron (19 ARS) is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. At the time of its inactivation, it was based at Otis Air Force Base. On 19 Sep 1985 the 19th Air Refueling Squadron,(Medium), was consolidated with the ...

** 100th Air Refueling Squadron **

303d Air Refueling Squadron The 303rd Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 499th Air Refueling Wing at Kindley AFB, Bermuda, where it was inactivated on 15 June 1963. The squadron (aviation), squadron was first a ...

* 22d Bombardment Wing (Medium) –

March AFB March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

(1952–1962) ** 22d Air Refueling Squadron ** 22d Air Refueling Squadron – (relocated as a GSU to McChord AFB,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

) ** 320th Air Refueling Squadron * 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (Medium) – Lockborne AFB,

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

(1953–1955; 1956–1958) **

26th Air Refueling Squadron The 26th Air Refueling Squadron (26 AREFS) was a squadron of the United States Air Force that flew the KC-97E/F/G Stratofreighter, An early Cold War air refueling squadron, it primarily supported B-47 Stratojets of the Strategic Air Command Ei ...

321st Air Refueling Squadron The 321st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 301st Bombardment Wing at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, where it was inactivated on 15 March 1965. The squadron was first active dur ...

* 28th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) – Ellsworth AFB,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

(1962–1964) ** 97th Air Refueling Squadron – GSU Malmstrom AFB,

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

* 40th Bombardment Wing (Medium) Schilling AFB,

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

(1953–1960) ** 40th Air Refueling Squadron * 42d Bombardment Wing (Heavy) – Limestone AFB,

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

(1955–1957) ** 42d Air Refueling Squadron * 43d Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Davis-Monthan AFB,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

(1953–1960) ** 9th Air Refueling Squadron **

43d Air Refueling Squadron The 43d Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 92nd Bombardment Wing, stationed at Fairchild AFB, Washington. It was inactivated in 1995. History Air Transport Command Activated on ...

* 44th Bombardment Wing (Medium) –

Lake Charles AFB A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larg ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

(1953–1960) ** 44th Air Refueling Squadron * 68th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Lake Charles AFB, Louisiana (1953–1957) **

68th Air Refueling Squadron The 68th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 305th Bombardment Wing at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana, where it was inactivated on 25 March 1965. The earliest predecessor of the ...

* 70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (Medium) – Little Rock AFB,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

(1955–1961) **

70th Air Refueling Squadron The 70th Air Refueling Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit, assigned to the 349th Operations Group at Travis Air Force Base, California. It is an associate of the active duty 9th Air Refueling Squadron, United States Air Force, and o ...

* 90th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Fairchild AFB,

(1955–1960) ** 90th Air Refueling Squadron * 91st Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Glasgow AFB,

(1952–1957) **

91st Air Refueling Squadron The 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions. The squadron was first activated in January 194 ...

** 100th Air Refueling Squadron * 93d Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Castle AFB,

(1953–1957) ** 90th Air Refueling Squadron **

93d Air Refueling Squadron The 93rd Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it is assigned to the 92nd Operations Group and operates the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air ...

* 96th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Altus AFB,

(1954–1958) **

11th Air Refueling Squadron The 11th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 340th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Altus AFB, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 1 October 1994. History During World War II the squadro ...

** 380th Air Refueling Squadron * 97th Bombardment Wing (Medium) –

Biggs AFB Biggs Army Airfield (formerly Biggs Air Force Base) is a United States Army military airbase located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. History Biggs Field/Biggs Army Airfield (1916–47) On 15 June 1919, following an attack b ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

(1954–1957) ** 97th Air Refueling Squadron * 98th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Lincoln AFB,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

(1954–1963) **

98th Air Refueling Squadron The 98th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 92d Operations Group at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1998. Two of the squadron's predece ...

307th Air Refueling Squadron The 307th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 410th Bombardment Wing, stationed at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. It was inactivated on 1 August 1990. History The 307th ARS was first a ...

* 100th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Portsmouth AFB/

Pease AFB Pease Air National Guard Base is a New Hampshire Air National Guard base located at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease in New Hampshire. It occupies a portion of what was once Pease Air Force Base, a former Strategic Air Command facility ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

(1956–1966) ** 100th Air Refueling Squadron **

509th Air Refueling Squadron 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...

* 301st Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Barksdale AFB,

/ Lockborne AFB,

(1953–1963) ** 301st Air Refueling Squadron * 303rd Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Davis-Monthan AFB,

(1953–1956; 1960) ** 9th Air Refueling Squadron **

* 305th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – MacDill AFB,

(1951–1959) **

305th Air Refueling Squadron The 305th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 305th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, where it was inactivated on 20 August 1993. The first predecessor of the squ ...

* 306th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – MacDill AFB,

(1951–1962) **

306th Air Refueling Squadron The 306th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 457th Operations Group at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where it was inactivated on 1 August 1994. The squadron's first predecessor is ...

* 307th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Lincoln AFB,

(1955–1960) **

* 308th Bombardment Wing (Medium) –

(1953–1959) **

** 308th Air Refueling Squadron * 310th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Smoky Hill AFB/ Schilling AFB,

(1952–1963) ** 40th Air Refueling Squadron **

310th Air Refueling Squadron The 310th Expeditionary Air Refueling Flight is a provisional United States Air Force unit. The flight was last active as the 310th Air Refueling Squadron in October 1994, when it was assigned to the 380th Air Refueling Wing at Plattsburgh Air ...

* 320th Bombardment Wing (Medium) –

(1952–1960) ** 320th Air Refueling Squadron * 321st Bombardment Wing (Medium) –

Pinecastle AFB McCoy AFB (1940–1947, 1951–1975) is a former U.S. Air Force installation located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Orlando, Florida. It was a training base during World War II. From 1951 to 1975, it was a front line Strategic Air Command ...

(1954–1956) **

* 340th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Whiteman AFB,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

(1954–1962) ** 34th Air Refueling Squadron **

340th Air Refueling Squadron The 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Operations Group at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It has supported combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and S ...

* 341st Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Dyess AFB,

(1956–1960) **

* 376th Bombardment Wing (Medium) – Barksdale AFB,

/ Lockborne AFB,

(1953–1963) **

** 376th Air Refueling Squadron *

379th Bombardment Wing 379th may refer to: * 379th Aero Squadron, training unit assigned to Benbrook Field, former World War I military airfield, 0.5 miles north of Benbrook, Texas *379th Air Expeditionary Wing The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional Unite ...

–

(1956–1961) **

* 384th Air Refueling Wing (Heavy) – Little Rock AFB,

(1961–1963) **

* 397th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) –

Dow AFB Bangor Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base. Created in 1927 as the commercial Godfrey Field, the airfield was taken over by the U.S. Army just before World War II and renamed Godfrey Army Airfield and later Dow Arm ...

(1963–1964) ** 71st Air Refueling Squadron ** 341st Air Refueling Squadron * 407th Strategic Fighter Wing – Great Falls AFB,

(1953–1957) ** 407th Air Refueling Squadron * 497th Air Refueling Wing – Plattsburgh AFB,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

(1962–1964) **

** 380th Air Refueling Squadron * 499th Air Refueling Wing – Westover AFB,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

(1963–1965) **

– GSU Dover AFB,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

– GSU Otis AFB,

** 99th Air Refueling Squadron (operated KC-135 & EC-135 aircraft only) **

– GSU

Kindley AFB Kindley Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base in Bermuda from 1948–1970, having been operated from 1943 to 1948 by the United States Army Air Forces as ''Kindley Field''. History World War II Prior to American entry into th ...

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

- GSU McGuire AFB,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

384th Air Refueling Squadron The 384th Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it is assigned to the 92d Operations Group and operates the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting ai ...

– Westover AFB,

(1963–1965) *

500th Air Refueling Wing 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...

– Selfridge AFB, Michigan (1963–1964) ** 44th Air Refueling Squadron **

*509th Bomb Wing, 509th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) – Walker AFB, New Mexico/

(1954–1965) **

*4397th Air Refueling Training Wing – Randolph AFB,

(1958–1963) ** 4397th Combat Crew Training Squadron *4050th Air Refueling Wing – Westover AFB,

(1955–1962) **

– GSU Dover AFB,

– GSU Otis AFB,

– Westover AFB,

– GSU

- GSU McGuire AFB,

– Westover AFB,

(1963–1965) *4060th Air Refueling Wing –

/ Plattsburgh AFB,

(1955–1962) *4108th Air Refueling Wing – Plattsburgh AFB,

(1961–1965) *4045th Air Refueling Wing – Selfridge AFB, Michigan *4061st Air Refueling Wing – Malmstrom AFB,

(1957–1961) ** 407th Air Refueling Squadron *4081st Strategic Wing – Ernest Harmon AFB, Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada (1960–1966) ** 376th Air Refueling Squadron

Air National Guard

*106th Rescue Wing, 106th Air Refueling Group – Floyd Bennett Field, NAS New York/Floyd Bennett Field, then Suffolk County Airport,

(1962–1972) **102d Rescue Squadron, 102d Air Refueling Squadron *126th Air Refueling Wing – O'Hare International Airport, Illinois (1953–1976) **108th Air Refueling Squadron *128th Air Refueling Wing – General Mitchell Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin (1962–1977) **126th Air Refueling Squadron *134th Air Refueling Wing – McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee (1964–1977) **151st Air Refueling Squadron *146th Airlift Wing, 146th Air Transport Wing- Van Nuys,

(1962–1967) **115th Airlift Squadron, 115th Air Refueling Squadron *136th Airlift Wing, 136th Air Refueling Wing – NAS Dallas,

(1965–1978) **181st Airlift Squadron, 181st Air Refueling Squadron *139th Airlift Wing, 139th Air Refueling Group – Rosecrans Air National Guard Base,

(1969–1976) **180th Airlift Squadron, 180th Air Refueling Squadron *151st Air Refueling Wing, 151st Air Refueling Group – Salt Lake City Air National Guard Base, Utah (1972–1978) **191st Air Refueling Squadron *160th Air Refueling Group – Lockborne AFB,

(1965–1975) **145th Air Refueling Squadron *161st Air Refueling Wing, 161st Air Refueling Group – Goldwater Air National Guard Base,

(1972–1977) **197th Air Refueling Squadron *171st Air Refueling Wing – Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania (1972–1977) **147th Air Refueling Squadron

Accidents and incidents

;27 June 1954:KC-97G AF Ser. No. ''52-2654'' which departed from Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, encountered poor weather at its destination, March Air Force Base in California, and attempted to divert to Norton Air Force Base, but crashed into Box Springs Mountain north of Riverside, California, killing all 14 people on board. ;4 May 1955:USAF KC-97G ''53-0110'' was flying in formation when it crashed into the Atlantic 90 mi off Iceland due to loss of control caused by an engine fire, killing all nine on board. ;6 July 1956:USAF KC-97E ''51-0220'' crashed in a wooded area 45 mile northeast of Goose Bay, Canada after reporting an engine fire, killing all six on board. ;22 January 1957:a KC-97G AF Ser. No. ''53-0222'' from Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, crashed in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, killing its crew of seven. ;9 May 1957:KC-97F AF Ser. No. ''51-0258'' en route from Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco, to Lajes Field, Lajes AB, Azores, ditched in the Atlantic 550 km (343.8 mls) SE of the Azores Islands following a double engine failure. All seven crew survived. The airplane floated for ten days before being sunk by the battleship USS Wisconsin (BB-64), USS ''Wisconsin''. ;18 July 1957:KC-97G AF Ser. No. ''52-2737'' from the 380th Air Refueling Squadron with a crew of eight, exploded and crashed into Lake Champlain at 2128 hrs., when two of the four engines failed three minutes after take-off from Plattsburgh Air Force Base, Plattsburgh AFB, New York. There were three survivors. ;29 October 1957:KC-97G AF Ser. No. ''52-2711'' of the 509th Bomb Wing, out of Walker Air Force Base, Walker AFB, New Mexico, crashed 35 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona, while on a nine-hour low-level survey flight to determine minimum altitude restrictions for B-47 training routes. The aircraft was seen over Gray Mountain, Arizona, at altitude of 60 feet shortly after 0830 hrs., and then heard striking a cloud-shrouded cliff face, killing 16 crew and strewing wreckage for 200 yards along mountainside. ;22 July 1959:KC-97 AF Ser. No. ''52-2703'' of Pease Air National Guard Base, Pease Air Force Base crashed near Andover, New Hampshire, while on a nighttime training mission; all seven crewmen were killed. ;14 December 1959:KC-97G AF Ser. No. ''53-0231'' of the

, out of Westover Air Reserve Base, Westover AFB, Massachusetts, collided with a B-52 during a refueling mission at an altitude of ~15,000 feet. The aircraft lost the whole left horizontal stabilizer and elevator, the rudder, and the upper quarter of the vertical stabilizer. The crew made a no-flap, electrical power off landing at night at Dow Air Force Base, Dow AFB, Maine; seven crew okay. "Spokesmen at Dow Air Force, Bangor, said the B52 [sic] apparently 'crowded too close' and rammed a fuel boom into the tail of a four-engined KC95 [sic] tanker plane." Aircraft stricken as beyond economical repair. Two crew on the B-52 ejected, parachuted safely, and were recovered by helicopters in a snow-covered wilderness area. The bomber and remaining eight crew safely landed at Westover AFB. ;30 March 1960:KC-97 AF Ser. No. ''51-0363'' (Manufacturer's Serial Number 16430) ditched and sank off Cape Canaveral. This particular aircraft was lost due to engine damage caused by hail. The crash resulted in 3 fatalities of the 14 crew. The wreck of the aircraft was discovered June 6, 2015, in 365 feet of water by divers. ;15 April 1960:KC-97G AF Ser. No. ''52-0919'' of the

, 307th Bomb Wing, crashed on take-off from Lincoln Airport (Nebraska), Lincoln AFB, Nebraska, after the Landing gear, undercarriage collapsed. All 24 on board survived, with two airmen suffering leg fractures and five others with minor cuts and burns. ;27 June 1960:KC-97G AF Ser. No. ''52-2728'' of the 380th Air Refueling Squadron, Plattsburgh AFB, New York, suffered failure of lubrication on an engine impeller shaft during an evening four-hour training mission to refuel a Boeing B-47 Stratojet. During rendezvous at 15,500 feet, the tanker's number one (port outer) powerplant caught fire. As the bomber moved away from the burning tanker, the crew tried unsuccessfully to put out the blaze. The plane went into a spin as the wing failed outboard of the engine; the aircraft crashed on Jonathan Smith Mountain, a hill east of Puzzle Mountain (Maine), Puzzle Mountain in Newry, Maine. The flash of the fire was seen from as far away as Lewiston, Maine, Lewiston and Bridgton, Maine, Bridgton. All five crew were killed. Wreckage covering five acres was still there as of 2010.Langeveld, M.Dirk, Staff Writer, "''The ultimate sacrifice; wreck sites a reminder of military plane disasters''", Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, 12 September 2010. Retrieved on 2011-12-1SunJournal.com: Oxford Hills ''The ultimate sacrifice; wreck sites a reminder of military plane disasters''
Retrieved on 2011-12-1 ;28 February 1961:KC-97 AF Ser. No. UNKNOWN of Selfridge Air Force Base, MI. Aircraft crashed shortly after take-off due to engine failure. All five crew members were killed. The aircraft struck houses and an ornamental windmill that was a landmark along Gratiot Rd. (M-25), just north of the base. The attached article incorrectly identifies Selfridge AFB as Selfridge ANGB. Selfridge was not transferred to the Air National Guard until 1 July, 1971. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-boeing-kc-97-stratotanker-selfridge-afb-5-killed ; 5 November 1964:KC-97 AF Ser. No. ''unknown'' of Pease Air Force Base crashed on takeoff; all five crewmen were killed. ;19 December 1964: USAF KC-97G ''52-907'' ran off the runway at Ernest Harmon Air Force Base, Ernest Harmon AFB after the pilot landed too far down the runway, killing all five on board. The pilot attempted to abort the landing, but the aircraft struck approach lights and crashed into a pond. ;19 January 1969: Wisconsin Air National Guard KC-97L ''52-0904'' crashed short of the runway at General Mitchell Airport, killing four of 11 on board. ;17 September 1971:KC-97G IAF Serial ''4X-FPR/033'' of the Israeli Air Force, was shot down by Egyptian missiles over Suez, Egypt; seven of eight-man crew were killed.

Surviving aircraft

Airworthy

KC-97G

*52-918 - privately owned in Riverton, Wyoming. *52-2698 - privately owned in Greybull, Wyoming.

KC-97L

*52-2695 - privately owned in Greybull, Wyoming. *52-2761 - privately owned in Greybull, Wyoming. *53-208 - privately owned in Riverton, Wyoming. *53-265 - privately owned in Riverton, Wyoming. *53-350 - privately owned in Riverton, Wyoming.

On display

KC-97G

*52-895 – Rogue Valley International–Medford Airport, Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport in Central Point, Oregon. *52-905 – Wisconsin National Guard Museum at Volk Field Air National Guard Base in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. *52-2604 - Cleveland I-X Center grounds in Cleveland Ohio. *52-2624 – Florence Air & Missile Museum, Florence Regional Airport, Florence, South Carolina, which is now closed. Following museum closure, parts were used complete the KC-97, AF Ser. No. 53-0335, on display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum. *52-2630 – National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. *52-2697 – Grissom Air Museum at Grissom Air Reserve Base (former Grissom AFB) in Peru, Indiana. *52-2736 – Israeli Air Force Museum adjacent to Beersheba, Israel. *53-151 – Pima Air and Space Museum adjacent to Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. *53-189 (Spanish Serial Number TK1-3) – Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Madrid), Museo del Aire (Spain) at Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid, Spain. Former USAF aircraft. *53-198 – Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum near Ashland, Nebraska. *53-218 – Minnesota Air National Guard Museum, St. Paul, Minnesota. Displayed in C-97G configuration. *53-230 – Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base,

. *53-240 – Barksdale Global Power Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base,

. *53-272 - Milestones of Flight Museum, General William J. Fox Airfield, Lancaster, California, Lancaster,

, which is now closed. *53-282 – Dyess Linear Air Park at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. *53-283 – The Airplane Restaurant adjacent to Peterson Air Force Base and Colorado Springs Municipal Airport in Colorado Springs, Colorado. *53-298 – Museum of Aviation (Warner Robins), Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base in

. *53-327 – Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri, Knob Noster,

. *53-335 – Carolinas Aviation Museum, north of Charlotte Air National Guard Base at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The museum is closed with a planned re-opening in 2022. *53-354 – Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California. *53-360 – Malmstrom Museum, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. Displayed as 52-2638. *53-363 – March Field Air Museum at March Air Reserve Base (former March AFB) in Riverside, California."KC-97 Stratofreighter/Serial Number 53-363."
''March Field Air Museum.'' Retrieved: 5 November 2019

In popular culture

The KC-97 Stratofreighter is shown in both its cargo and tanker tasks in the 1955 film Strategic Air Command (film), ''Strategic Air Command'', refueling a B-47 in flight, and in the 1957 film Bombers B-52 (film), ''Bombers B-52'', refueling B-52s.

Specifications (KC-97L)

Boeing KC-97G Stratofreighter 3-view line drawing

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Bach, Martin: ''Boeing 367 Stratofreighter, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Aero Spacelines Guppies.'' NARA Verlag, Allershausen 1996, . * Bowers, Peter M.: ''Boeing Aircraft since 1916.'' Putnam Aeronautical Books, London 1989, . * Swanborough, Gordon and Bowers, Peter M.: ''United States Military Aircraft since 1909.'' Putnam Aeronautical Books, London 1989, .

External links

KC-97 page at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker Boeing military aircraft, KC-097 1940s United States military tanker aircraft, KC-97 Stratotanker Four-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft with auxiliary jet engines Air refueling Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Stratotanker Four-engined piston aircraft

Design and development

Operational history

Variants

Operators

Active duty

Air National Guard

Accidents and incidents

Surviving aircraft

Airworthy

KC-97G

KC-97L

On display

KC-97G

In popular culture

Specifications (KC-97L)

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links