{"product_id":"9781910809013","title":"The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker: More Than a Tanker","description":"Few would have imagined when \"Dix\" Loesch and \"Tex\" Johnston took the KC-135A up for its maiden flight on August 31, 1956 that some 60 years later, it would still be in front-line active service around the world. What began as a jet-powered replacement for the KC-97 to refuel Strategic Air Command's growing B-47 and B-52 bomber fleet soon evolved into America's first military heavy jet transport, an airborne command post platform capable of surviving and then commanding America's nuclear war plan, a testbed that enabled scientists to study the Earth, send men to the Moon and understand the power of the atom. \u003cp\u003eOther variants of the KC-135 included a reconnaissance airframe that monitors arms agreements, gathers intelligence to understand the intentions and capabilities of potential enemies and provides real-time intelligence in combat - beginning with the war in Southeast Asia, and continuing to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Today, tanker versions of the KC-135 remain in service with Chile, France, Singapore, Turkey, and the United States, while reconnaissance variants operate with Great Britain and the United States. This is a fully revised and expanded edition of the original bestselling 'Aerofax' book and includes operational histories of the 80+ unique types, as well as individual details for all 820 airplanes by serial number including first flight, delivery, changes in configuration, attrition, and retirement. Appendices cover all units, a summary of each accident, display and stored aircraft, and record-setting achievements. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe author is a former USAF pilot qualified on 17 types of KC-135s, EC-135s, and RC-135s, who bring both personal experience and a broad historical understanding to this definitive work on one the most significant military aircraft of the Cold War and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Crecy Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47049911730416,"sku":"9781910809013","price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781910809013_p0.jpg?v=1763627798","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781910809013","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}