Boeing YAL-1A

[7C9]

Hi everybody


the USAF is putting into storage their YAL-1As due to budget cuts.... it is stored at Davis Monthan AFB.


This is the Boeing 747 with laser beam (that 747 with that spot,.... the 747 still in puberty)


There is now something that makes me thinking,.... as this plane is not so old (mf 2002)
a) is it possible to "cut it back" into USAF-Tanker?
b) normal freighter for USAF (for hazardous materials,....)

[Peter Kesternich]

Even if the plane is not so old, they will store it for a while just in case the U.S. Department of the Treasury wins a sizable lottery jackpot and it can be put to use again... hahaha... and after that I hope it won't be converted but sent to the Wright-Patterson flight line for all of us to enjoy should we happen to be in Dayton, Ohio, and visiting the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force...

[CathayPacific]

It would just be stored.

USAF does not have any 747 tankers or freighters. It would be expensive to operate just one aircraft for those purposes while those purposes are already fulfilled by KC135/KC10 and C130/C17. If they really, for some reason, need to transport goods using a 747F, they can charter from a US civilian carrier.

Besides, I think the generals still have hopes that it will eventually come out of storage to complete its originally intended tasks.

[7C9]

with that huge amount of debt,....

btw, I like the KC135, as it is a 707 with the "nice" engines, not those "baguettes"

but, what is and was the oiginal plan with that "plane" ? YAL-1A

[Peter Kesternich]

with that huge amount of debt,....

btw, I like the KC135, as it is a 707 with the "nice" engines, not those "baguettes"

but, what is and was the oiginal plan with that "plane" ? YAL-1A

try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAL-1_Airborne_Laser

[ErwinS]

with that huge amount of debt,....

btw, I like the KC135, as it is a 707 with the "nice" engines, not those "baguettes"

but, what is and was the oiginal plan with that "plane" ? YAL-1A

KC-135 is no 707. She is smaller, the first Boeing 717.

[7C9]

the Kc-135 has in my opinion more in common with the 707,.... try to compare them,... the 717 was also quite later on the market,...

correct me if I am wrong,....

but,.... I think we are gong slightly to

[Petertenthije]

correct me if I am wrong,....

Originally the 717 was a military variant of the 707. The re-badged MD-95 is the second 717.

[ErwinS]

Originally the 717 was a military variant of the 707. The re-badged MD-95 is the second 717.

Indeed.

But about the laser birds. Well I can't think of any other use for them. They are way to modified.

[7C9]

maybe, if it has a nose-cargo-door, it could be used for transporting hazardous "Military-only-material" ?

[brianw999]

You know...I look at that bird with all the mega-wattage it puts out....

....and I'm not allowed to use a mobile phone on a plane because the energy it puts out might interfere with flight systems !!

[7C9]

You know...I look at that bird with all the mega-wattage it puts out....

....and I'm not allowed to use a mobile phone on a plane because the energy it puts out might interfere with flight systems !!

....according to my informations, this is only not allowed in order to satisfy the other passengers who don't want to be disturbed by ringing phones,....
it makes no oronly mior interferences with the flights systems

[ErwinS]

maybe, if it has a nose-cargo-door, it could be used for transporting hazardous "Military-only-material" ?

Trust me, those 747's are modified in such a way that it would be very hard to convert them for another role.
And there is really nor use for the USAF for two 747-400's.

When funds or priority is back for them they wil be re-activated.

[Felipe Garcia]

the Kc-135 has in my opinion more in common with the 707,.... try to compare them,... the 717 was also quite later on the market,...

correct me if I am wrong,....

but,.... I think we are gong slightly to

The KC-135 is the "original" 717, which is a narrower 707 (basically slotting in between the 707 and the 367-80). A lot of parts are common, but not everything. The AF does have a lot of 707s scrapped at DMA used for parts to keep their fleet flying.
The C-137 planes (and the E-3/6/ are just military 707s.

And unlike the E-10 prototype, I'm sure there's enough systems inside that plane that would make it too expensive to turn into a freighter, and then again, the cost of operating only 1 airplane of the type would be really high. It does have some common systems with the VC-25, but at that point the combined 747 fleet would be 7, 4 E-4s, 2 VC-25s and 1 C-25 or whatever they would call it. With 3 different subtypes it would still be expensive to operate, and after all, that role can be fulfilled by the C-17 or C-5 at a much lower cost.

[HalcyonDays]

There is a theory (not convinced myself) that the YAL-1A has been grounded because its capability has been taken over by the USAF X-37B unmanned space vehicle. As it happens, the second X-37B ship has been in orbit exactly one year tomorrow (March 5).