AVIATION: The Badass Behemoth That the Air Force Will Use for Mid-Air Refueling. “Pretty, it ain’t. It’s based on the Boeing 767, but with matte gray paint covering the layers that protect its highly combustible cargo from attack. But it’ll have the full suite of defensive measures, like missile launch detectors, and can carry 18 fuel pallets per mission. That means the two 94-inch Patt & Whitney engines are flying up to 415,000 pounds of airplane. . . . The US government paid Boeing $50 billion for production through 2028 for 175 units. The final planes will be delivered to the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps in August 2017 according to Boeing’s contract. The Air Force says its added efficiency will save hundreds of millions of dollars in maintenance and repair costs.”
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