yardbird78 Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 (edited) I was at the RC model field about 5 miles south of Scott AFB today and there was a 135 flying around making at least a dozen touch and go's at Scott. It was not one of 126th KC-135's. It had the hog nose, CFM-56 engines, both wings were silver, no cheek packs, no IFR boom on the tail and had OF (Offutt) on the fin. Any ideas what particular version this was? Darwin Edited May 24, 2016 by yardbird78 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ST0RM Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 TC-135 most likely. Pilot-Pro -135 for the RC guys to practice TnGs without tying up a mission jet. -Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 It had the hog nose, CFM-56 engines, ...... By hog nose do you mean the EC-135 ARIA jets? I didn't think any of those airframes got the big engines.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moose135 Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 I know someone who could probably answer that for you...oh wait... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KursadA Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 (edited) There are not many -135s with the hog nose but without the cheek pods. Like Jeff suggested, it was most likely the TC-135S (62-4133): http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/4/2/4/2166424.jpg Edited May 24, 2016 by KursadA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Drifterdon Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 4127 and 4129 both have the cheek packs and 4133 has black wing and engines on the starboard side no cheeks so I'm not sure if it was a TC-135. Didn't Air Force Systems/Materiel Command fly a couple with hog noses for systems testing? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 More than likely you saw a TC-135. The TCs don't have any operational ELINT gear on them though as their primary purpose is to help train pilots on how to fly and land the planes. Internally, they have ballast to make them behave like a typically loaded RC-135. Unlike a KC-135 which usually takes off fully loaded and comes back empty, an RC is loaded down with a lot of gear all the time, so they have to be landed hot with higher approach speeds. Usually the way to tell at a glance that you are looking at a TC and not an RC is the relative lack of antennas on them. This is especially true with the TCs that have cheeks as if it was a Rivet Joint, the bottom kind of looks like a porcupine with all the black blade antennas on the belly. If it had no cheeks I would say 4133, a TC-135S, is the most likely candidate. Found some pictures over at Airliners.net and it appears it went in for depot maintenance in 2013 and when it came back, it no longer had the Cobra Ball style black wing which it had back in 2012. BTW, if the jet has an OF tail code, it is an Offutt based 55th wing bird. http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=62-4133&distinct_entry=true Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ST0RM Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 I know someone who could probably answer that for you...oh wait... Moose, I did answer it alright. Jennings isnt the only one with knowledge. And my reply wasnt snotty and condescending ;) Cheers, -Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted May 24, 2016 Author Share Posted May 24, 2016 Thanks for the answers. That picture of the TC-135 seems to fit what I saw. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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