KC-135 Stratotanker Poster - Aerial Refueling Tanker

The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker entered service in 1957 and remains in active operation today, one of the longest-serving aircraft in any military's inventory. Based on the prototype that became the Boeing 707 commercial airliner, the KC-135 was acquired to give Strategic Air Command's bombers truly intercontinental range by refueling them in flight, freeing nuclear strike missions from dependence on forward bases that might be destroyed in a first strike. The Boeing flying boom system it introduced, a rigid telescoping tube flown by a dedicated boom operator lying prone in the aircraft's tail, became the standard aerial refueling method for US Air Force aircraft.

Over nearly seven decades, the KC-135 has been continuously upgraded. The current KC-135R fleet was re-engined with CFM56 turbofan engines that dramatically improved fuel efficiency and reduced the characteristic black smoke trail of the original J57 turbojets, and the aircraft received modern avionics and communications systems. Today's KC-135Rs are faster, more fuel-efficient, and easier to maintain than original production aircraft, yet recognizably the same design. Over 800 were built, and despite ongoing replacement by the KC-46 Pegasus, hundreds of KC-135s remain in Air Force and Air National Guard service. Without aerial refueling, enabled primarily by this aircraft for six decades, the global reach of American air power would not exist.

Our prints are museum-quality posters made on thick matte paper. They add a wonderful accent to your room or office and are sure to brighten any environment.

• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 189 g/m²
• Opacity: 94%
• ISO brightness: 104%
• Paper is sourced from Japan

We print your poster especially for you once you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Printing our posters on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction. Thank you for your understanding and making thoughtful purchasing decisions!