RC-135: The Giant Spy Plane

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[@megaprojects9649]

Check out Squarespace: squarespace.com/megaprojects for 10% off on your first purchase.

[@koharumi1]

Can you do a topic on one of your channels about usa military bases pollution? kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZy3ZaKNiLljf7c

[@sojolly]

I worked on a variant of the RC-135U COMBAT SENT for 10 years. Our variant had to refuel immediately upon takeoff, because we were stuffed to the gills with electronics. Dubbed the flying pig. Our motto 'Many are chosen but few are SENT'.

[@geraint8989]

I suppose “when pigs fly” has always been a poignant yet confusing phrase whenever you have heard people use it since

[@sojolly]

@@geraint8989also enjoyed the flying pigs from Pink Floyd's Animals. Cheers.

[@laurenpeck77]

I was a kc-135 crew chief back in 07-11. Those were the best years of AMXS I had until I moved off the 135 platform.

[@gregmiller7123]

You are right, I saw the removal of older electronics on dollies and new electronics being rolled back in on dollies. Almost a "plug and play" design. Designed a special stand so that forklifts could unload these racks onto the stand and be rolled into the aircraft. This eliminated the forklifts going all the way up to the plane. Aircraft and forklifts don't make good dance partners!

[@sojolly]

@@gregmiller7123 I carried the last ush deck off the plane down the stairs with a crewman. I needed your stand then. Before a test flight.

[@SoCalGuitarist]

I served at Offutt back in the 90’s and worked on Rivet Joint, Cobra Ball and Combat Sent platforms. Your video was a blast from the past, and I recognize so much of the locations and equipment you’ve been showing, and have plenty of stories about chasing miles and miles of bundled cables trying to find a break, or crawling into tiny cramped fuel cells to work on antenna equipment, not to mention many many hot hours in the desert of Saudi Arabia. I’ve saved this video and will now provide it to friends and family who ask me about the planes I used to work on when I was in the military. Thanks so much for making this video!

[@nozrep]

and thank you for your service!

[@joethetrucker6834]

I served at Offutt and Kadena in the 80’s working Rivet Joint. Many fond memories.

[@Finallybianca]

Offutt is getting new runways right now so all aircraft are over here in Lincoln right now.

[@jsp7410]

I didn't work on any aircraft... I was Security Forces. But I remember guarding these aircraft all over the world. I remember being extremely impressed with these aircraft. And always had respect for the people who worked/work on them. But I will say from my perspective.... you would NOT want break red to get to these aircraft.

[@armadillotoe]

I was in the RC 135 in the mid-70s at Offutt. Russian linguist.

[@brianjones1400]

3 quick points. There have been 3 different engines on the RC's. J-57, TF-33, and the current one you showed. The two RC-135U models do not have the hog nose. Missions are flown with two navigators. I maintained the jets for 14 years.

[@peytonr8018]

More than capable of flying with a single nav

[@bobfg3130]

RCs.

[@glenngates3854]

I worked on kc-135's for 10 years, All had tail numbers starting with the year of manufacture none had the 00 prefix.

[@jonniez62]

Sort of right. Combat Sent has a scoop under the nose and a tigers mouth. Also the tail is much longer.

[@sojolly]

@@jonniez62 Because there are 20 antennas under the nose and another 20 in the tail, and out on the wingtips. That's what makes a SENT a SENT.

[@camdenharper7244]

Amazing choice for a megaproject. An airplane that 99.9% of people have never heard of but has had an enormous impact on the world for 50 years

[@engineeringvision9507]

After Ukraine everyone should know about it

[@mindspa24]

I would like to keep it that way please.

[@tiadiad]

I am Russian, and we have craft that watch craft like this one.

[@mindspa24]

@@tiadiad congrats, the plane doesn't try to hide. People are tracking them 24/7 on flight radar.

[@tiadiad]

@@mindspa24 Flight radar made by Russia. You are welcome!

[@kennypool]

I remember the best 747 story, as things fell behind schedule. The president of Boeing pulling in management and asked, "what do you need, ?" Another 2000000 sq ft . Done. Another 500 machinists. Done. Another 100 days of no rain. Done. It rained continuously for the next 80 days. There's only so much management can do.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:05 - Chapter 1 - Cold War 2:20 - Chapter 2 - Development 5:10 - Mid roll ads 7:05 - Chapter 3 - Nose 8:05 - Chapter 4 - Various variants 9:50 - Chapter 5 - Entering the theatre 11:05 - Chapter 6 - Bumped & bruised 14:35 - Chapter 7 - A lasting legacy

[@pozzowon]

2:45 mispronunciation #1

[@Fercurix]

HEh, coincidently I see this one on flightradar over the black sea right now xD

[@lambotama]

They've been there ever since before Russia invaded Ukraine

[@bacburrito4225]

You mean it sees you!!

[@SLCmedia07]

You'll see it over Greenville, Texas a lot.

[@jayburn00]

Left out one of its most important jobs, collecting intel on air defense systems by recording the radar signals transmitted by potential adversaries. During the Gulf war, right before the air campaign technically started combat jets would make dashes towards the Iraqi territory to encourage the Iraqis to turn on their surface to air missile radars (and then the planes would turn around before getting too close). An rc-135 would record those radar signals, and it was then used to specifically target the frequencies used by those radars with jamming (jamming is more powerful when you can focus on a single frequency).

[@tomkimberly2849]

Yes but at some point I felt we were giving the Libyans practice. We certainly were poking them. At one point we tracked their MIGs coming after us (so we thought) and as I recall, asking permission to fire. I think they had no idea we were above them, and they were shooting down at some boat for practice. Maybe we flew by them and scared them as we plunged down in a free fall. The Navy would fly low then pop up at 12 miles (inside the 'line of death' LOL in their P3s (I think). Then it hit the fan.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

More that 10,000 hours on the RC-135V/W variants here. It's a wonderful jet, and despite the *design* being old, these aircraft get refurbed every 10 years or so--making them virtually brand spankin' new inside and out.

[@shadowridged224]

Were you a pilot or an engineer? I’ve been considering a career flying the Rivet Joint. What’s it like?

[@BojaneBugami]

Our overhaul cycles are actually 5 to 6 years.

[@TheKeithvidz]

Rivet Joint - being military minded knew of it and glad you chose to feature it.

[@user-hj5ud2up6d]

I had the honor of being the first crewchief of the first RC-135U in 1972. Went to Kadena with it for SENT II mission. SsGT Clair Oppriecht.

[@willw8011]

Just proof that the Boeing 707 is probably the greatest and most revolutionary airframe in history. Not only did it revolutionize the air travel industry, but it also gave the USAF so many specialty aircraft.

[@808bigisland]

It was based on the B-52. Both were game changers.

[@procatprocat9647]

Compare your claim to the Wright Brother's airframe. 🤣

[@byronlefevre8266]

Me up at 4am in Australia: ooH a new plane video from the man with the magnificent beard yes plz

[@theirishhammer9108]

I was a linguist on the RC-135 flying out of Athens back in the mid 80s. My “favorite” flight ever was me sitting shotgun between the pilot and copilot for takeoff. We took off from Athens international, turned left to go out to sea, and the #3 engine caught on fire. We dump fuel as best we could and then RTB. We land heavy, get hot breaks on landing and have to do an emergency exit off the ramp. I still have problems flying commercial because of that flight. Had another flight off the coast of Lebanon in which we thought the Syrians launched a SA-2 at us. Dropped from 32,000 feet to 500 feet above the Med. again, I have troubles now flying commercial!

[@jakelandry5645]

I loved sitting in that seat for ARs too. I remember my first TDY as a CC on a non stop from Offutt to kadena. Got some pretty stellar shots of mt. St. Helen's during our 1st AR. Awesome memories

[@jgeur]

yeah i understand having trouble flying commercial after crewing on board the rc....they're just so damned boring!

[@DurangoManRick]

Same place, same time, same job here. We must have known each other.

[@tomkimberly2849]

Hahah probably flew with you. I sat on that camera case too. I hate flying, takeoff and landing freaks me out. Nothing like gear down, flaps down, engines to idle, cokes on the ceiling.

[@matthew1980overmyer]

Thankyou so much for thirs brief video on the 135. i was a mechanic on this plane for 6 years. did three tours with her in the middle east. im proud of the men and women that were saved because of her mission. If you have any questions about her dont hesitate to ask.

[@luluseatowngetdown6251]

There’s one flying in Poland right now. Kinda crazy. Do you have Flightradar24 app?

[@anthonyblacker8471]

I seriously hope you never run out of #Megaprojects Simon.. Love this channel, all your work really.. great great job man.. seriously

[@RC-cv3bv]

I was stationed at Offutt in '97, and used to see these all of the time. Actually got to go on board one. I worked on the EC-135 Looking Glass though.

[@scottb4029]

The rc135 or the recky is awesome. I worked on the kc135, you should check out the ec135 or the raven. All electronic warfare all awesome!

[@jasonw4915]

i worked on both RC135 and Ec135

[@BoredBob]

I worked on the NKC-135 "Big Crow" variant out of NM in 1984-87. This variant was primarily a mission reconfigurable EW testing platform but had a few non-testing missions over the years. It was equipped with a water injection system to give the engines added thrust during heavy load take-offs and was a real sight to watch it trundle down the runway slowly picking up take-off speed. Probably one of my best times in the military.

[@aevangel1]

USAF retired here, Offutt was my first base, and I cut my teeth as a Maintenance worker, fixing these old workhorses. So many good and not so good memories... 🤣🤣

[@JessAlynnMac]

I agree, I was a fuel systems specialist on these big bitches and the E4-B during enduring freedom and got to join them in an undisclosed location right after 9-11

[@brycepatties]

12:30 This incident was also instrumental in the eventual declassification and commercialization of GPS.

[@rrg991981]

You should do the EC-130H “Compass Call” electronic warfare aircraft.

[@cmdrcorvuscoraxnevermore3354]

Agreed. Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ has the EC-130H Compass Call stationed there.

[@jonniez62]

Not really, it's heading to the boneyard, next door and being replaced by the EC-37B.

[@rrg991981]

@@jonniez62 I heard that actually not too long ago

[@cmdrcorvuscoraxnevermore3354]

@@jonniez62 Hi jonniez62, yes the EC-37B, based on the Gulfstream G550, is slated to replace the aging EC-130H Compass Call. Have a good day and be well.

[@1983derf]

Also check out comfy le Vi it flew in South America

[@pastorrich7436]

Fun fact: L3 Communications in Greenville, Texas is the contractor responsible for making the conversion of KC-135 into RC-135. I was blessed to provide technical support to the data systems on Rivet Joint and Cobra Ball between 2011 and 2015.

[@montgomerymaker9553]

I'm currently doing a Co-Op here at L3 in Greenville. It really has been amazing getting to work there and see all these amazing aircrafts. I grew up around here and never even knew I was next to something so cool!

[@mikeyt22003]

I used to work at L3 Greenville TX. Saw them quite often. Cobra ball Rivet joint etc.

[@pcarlover]

Company was called E Systems in the 80s. Amazing place for sure

[@2down4up]

I actually had a friend in the Air Force that up until about a year ago was actually assigned to the Rivet Joint wing or fleet or whatever you call it. He couldn’t tell me a whole lot but he was very proud of the assignment and enjoyed the job immensely.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Alignment?

[@2down4up]

@@AtheistOrphan assignment. Sorry.

[@jgeur]

he didn't want to kill you

[@hectorsilva5376]

US still uses the 707 platform for military versions- E-8 Joint Star, KC-135 StratoTanker E-3 Sentry- all of which have been busy over Poland and Romania of late.

[@bierbarrel]

E8 was not a military version of the 707....it was a civilian 707

[@davidhoman3807]

In the 1970s 1980s my mother and her sister made many ceramic coffee mugs for the RC squadrons with hand-painted versions of the RC’s on them. The squadrons gave her pictures of the variants to make the mugs as realistic as possible.. Someone else made T-shirts that had a picture of an RC on it, and the saying “Me and My RC”, which was the slogan of the royal crown cola. Not too many in the US have even heard of that brand.

[@LTDunltd]

I had one of those t-shirts. I worked on the stellar nav system in 78-82.

[@davidhoman3807]

@@LTDunltd know anyone with a coffee mug? This would have been at Offutt.

[@jgeur]

rc cola and a moon pie

[@northeastohioed7239]

Thanks for the best video I have seen on my old workplace. I flew on the M models for Combat Apple missions during the Vietnam War. My Aircrew Wings are the military decoration I am the most proud of. Ours weren't quite as as appointed as the "office space" pictures of the current models, but I was able to make garlic bread in the onboard pre-microwave cooking ovens we used to warm up our food. I was quite the popular guy for a bit. Long, grueling missions, though. On return, so tired you couldn't sleep.

[@thefrecklepuny]

I'd say the RC-135 replaced the RB-47 rather than the RB-50. The RB-47 had crew members cramped inside the weapons bay operating the sensors. The RC-135 in comparison had near airliner comfort for the flight crews.

[@1shARyn3]

"... had near airliner comfort for the flight crews" --- except during refueling -- especially in adverse weather

[@joethetrucker6834]

My father worked on RB-47’s in the late 50’s and I worked Rivet Joint RC-135’s in the 80’s.

[@xrysoryba]

I flew on RC-135s in the 60s-70s and SAC was still flying RB-47s. 135s did eventually replace C-130-II aircraft.

[@timschuh6524]

Love this! We watched RC-135s regularly when I lived (as a child of a service member) on a US Air Base in Japan in the early 80s. I never saw the same antenna configuration twice. I can only imagine how much it changed under the antenna fairings. We were in Japan when KAL007 got shot down and I learned much later that a friend of ours was on duty in the Intelligence Office when that was recorded. RC-130s were also reconfigured regularly. Also saw these at Offutt when dad was stationed there, of course.

[@Anarchy_420]

Can you cover The Thunderwell!? Nuclear steam piston concept weapon/launch system for destroying asteroids or Aliens lol or launching cargo into orbit! The steam accelerated Jules Verne capsule, which was suggested by the speed of at least 6 times earth’s escape velocity, achieved by the 10-cm thick, 1.2 m diameter steel cover blown off the top of the 152 m shaft of the 0.3 kt Plumbbob-Pascal B underground Nevada test on 27 August 1957. In that test, a 1.5 m thick 2 ton concrete plug immediately over the bomb was pushed up the shaft by the detonation, knocking the welded steel lid upward. This was a preliminary experiment by Dr Robert Brownlee which ultimately aimed to launch spacecraft using the steam pressure from deep shafts filled with water, with a nuclear explosion at the bottom; an improvement of Jules Verne’s cannon-fired projectile described in De la Terre à la Lune, 1865, where steam pressure would give a more survivable gentle acceleration than Verne’s direct impulse from an explosion. Some 90% of the radioactivity would be trapped underground!

[@davegriffith32]

Awesome video! I was stationed at Offutt in the mid to late 80's and worked internal jet engine repair on these and the EC-135 Looking Glass planes. They both took the same engine- the Pratt & Whitney TF-33, models P-5, P-9 and PW-102. The P-5 had thrust reversers for short runways, the P-9 had an extra oil tank for extended flight and the PW-102s were surplus bought from American Airlines. I can't remember how those were configured. I only worked on one. I also got two informal tours of an 'off duty' E4-B - the 747 Doomsday Plane that was also stationed at Offutt. Also at Offutt is the old Martin bomber plant that manufactured the Enola Gay, (selected off the line by it's pilot, himself) and the Bockscar B-29s that dropped nuclear bombs 1 and 2. Affectionately named 'Building D', the plant is now used for administration and recreation. Going to show this to relatives, for sure!

[@pervyturtle2673]

Neat to see my hometown mentioned

[@kidwithface4]

Fantastic trip down memory lane, thanks Simon.

[@cg9952]

My father and I worked on these at Majors Field in Texas.

[@o0Jonexe0o]

Great video. Everyone always forgets the coolest 135 variant: the WC-135. The only aircraft that flies TOWARDS nuclear explosions instead of away from them.

[@jakelandry5645]

The good ole "weather bird" I did the thru flight and 60's-120's on the bird that came back from tracking the Fukushima cloud. I was on I's and E's before the engine run, then on the jet during the run finishing inspection items when I noticed I was starting to get a pretty bad headache. We were told by, EE that the plane had been decontaminated fully. After the 3rd person said they were feeling kinda nauseous, we immediately terminated the engine run, egressed and called moc. Some guys came out and were like, "yeah planes definitely good" in front of the PR that had already caught wind. But told us we would be getting contacted. Some of the guys had to grow beards and send their shavings in along with other collection samples. But yeah, that and the OC are like walking aboard a time machine.

[@MarcNewitt]

Nice to see the locals appearing on here, I live quite close to RAF Mildenhall and see these all the time. Hadn't realised we had procured the Rivet in RAF service until 2045! Certainly an eye opener! Great video as always 👍

[@thomastheisman1751]

I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall and pulled security on these aircraft when they were TDY there for missions over Iraq 25 years ago.

[@procatprocat9647]

Waddington. Full Stop.

[@iamafloorguythe3rd]

Awesome choice. It would be cool to see a megaproject on her sister, the KC-135

[@dannyboyy31]

Yes. My cousin used to maintain KC-135 tankers

[@theirishhammer9108]

Boring flying gas station

[@snyderpl]

My father flew RC-135s out of Eileson AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska and Offutt AFB in Omaha, NE. He often flew up and down Kamchatka and around the South China Sea.

[@northeastohioed7239]

You mean Awful Air Force Base near Omigod, Nebraska?

[@michaelcobb7860]

At the 90th they were called “Polar Pigs”

[@jgeur]

@@northeastohioed7239 awfuck airplane patch

[@johnkershaw9575]

Great video. I had the honor of re-enlisting on Cobra Ball while stationed on Shemya AFB. There's a very interesting story about the Cobra Ball and Korean Airline Flight 007. Keep of the great work.

[@louremington6975]

My dad was a navigator on the RB-47's and then became a navigator on the RC-135's out of, Fairbanks, Alaska. The stories he told me were so amazing. Shooting the stars, which I didn't understand at the time, and the ridiculous of the cold war. Thank god for men like my dad and the, 55th SRW

[@PeachM0de]

“What’re we talkin about?” 😂 My favorite Simon phrase.

[@johnortmann3098]

The Offutt runway is being rebuilt, so the planes from there are currently based at the Lincoln Municipal Airport 50 miles to the southwest. This airport was originally a base for B-47 nuclear bombers. The Nebraska Air National Guard also flies a fleet of KC-135 tankers out of Lincoln. By the way, it isn't called "The Strategic Air Command" anymore. It's called "Strategic Command," which reflects that it is a joint command for both the Air Force and Navy nukes. The bunkers where the nuclear bombs were kept still exist on the outskirts of Lincoln (now rented out for storage). They are a mile or so west of the airport proper, on the north end of the Nine-Mile Prairie Preserve. When I was in school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln I used to help conduct prescribed burns on the prairie every spring, and stick musk thistles a little later in the summer. Edit: The aircraft returned to Offutt on Sept. 30/22

[@jetsons101]

The RC-135 and the B-52 are both record breakers for long service life aircraft.

[@obelic71]

Ad the C130, DC3/C47 And Tu-142 and the list is complete.

[@jetsons101]

@@obelic71 I was just thinking current USAF planes but a good point, I flew on a DC-3 at a airshow---what a blast. The B-52 may be a 100 year airframe.

[@obelic71]

@@jetsons101 The DC3/C47 often refurbished (0 hour airframe) by Basler or even into the BT-67 Basler turboprop, will 100% reach the centenial in active service mark. The B-52 has a 95% chance to hit that centenial mark. The soon to start conversion update program to install modern commercial small Rolls Royce bypass engines will extend their service life for atleast 20 years. Keep in mind that in the 2040/50's Their will be no Boeing 747 and Airbus 380 flying anymore! The B-52 and DC3/C47/BT-67 are then still airborne!

[@jetsons101]

@@obelic71 If only the Wright Brothers could see aviation today..... The A-380 was a "BIG" mistake but The Boeing 747 will eventually be transporting cargo only, the cockpit was designed to be on the upper deck, so the nose could be used as a huge cargo door. This is from the AirBridge Cargo website: The Boeing 747-8F is the all-cargo version of the 747-8 airplane by Boeing. It is a development of the 747-400, with a new engine, new wings, a longer fuselage and an increased wing span among other adjustments. It is the only commercial in-production cargo airplane with a nose door, allowing for a flexible and efficient loading of XL cargo shipments. The airplane can carry a payload of 139 tonnes with a volume of (24462 ft³) in the main cargo deck. The 747-8F can carry 16% more revenue cargo volume and provides 17% more fuel-efficiency than its predecessor. The 747 stil has life maybe not a 100 years but maybe 70 or 80 years. Have a good day...

[@frosty3693]

Spy planes were a thing in WW2. The RAF had a squadron that flew off France, and other places, to intercept radio and radar signals to learn about the radio emissions of the enemy and what they were being used for, such as what radars were for air search and which were targeting both for ships and aircraft. Australia also had a unit doing similar. (Group, or room,22) Yes, radar was much more widespread than many people know. Did Simon inply that the Boeing 707 was not a commercially successful aircraft?? RC135 op anecdote, From a crewmember of one operating out of Brittian at the time, Their aircraft had a powerful side looking radar with a placard that said do not turn on the radar below 3,000 feet altitude. They were sitting on a taxiway waiting to take off and a crewmember wondered what would happen if they turned on the radar then, so they tried it. The grass next to the taxiway caught fire. KC135, B52 and C130, designs that met the need then and still do, basically aerial trucks.

[@napalmninja45]

-80=/=707 The production 707 has a wider fuselage than the -80 precisely because of the criticisms Simon mentions.

[@frosty3693]

@@napalmninja45 And people wonder where the 717 was in the line.

[@thiscouldntblowmore]

367-80 was the prototype for 707 and C-135, i wouldnt call it failure, but one of the most successful aircraft ever.

[@jcak552]

-80 is at the Seattle musemum of flight…

[@hokutoulrik7345]

Commercially it was a failure. But as the C-135 family, it was a rousing success. Outside of a few civilian 707s, all were used by the USAF and USN.

[@thiscouldntblowmore]

@@hokutoulrik7345 865 civilian 707 build, this excludes the US military versions. Israel has converted some of these for their own military use and for export, but we are talking about of maybe max 20 airframes and all of them like after decades of civilian service.

[@larrycooper9487]

@@jcak552 Nope. It’s in the Udvar Hazy Center (Smithsonian Institute), Chantilly, Virginia.

[@wormyboot]

My father flew KC-135s (both models) in the Air Force and he's now teaching me to fly. There's a special place in my heart for this platform.

[@Flies2FLL]

Fun factoid: Back in the 1980's, if you drove down 36th street in Miami, Florida right next to the Miami International Airport, you saw all the Eastern Airlines facilities and also...."Corrosion corner". Corrosion corner was where the old decrepit cargo airlines operated out of; You would see a whole lot of DC-3's, DC-4's, DC-6's, 707's, DC-8's, Boeing 367's....All dripping oil, blowing rivets, and tons of corrosion. These were cargo planes, and the airlines that owned them were NOT wealthy. These planes were there to ferry cargo to various places in the Caribbean, a lucrative business back then. [There is a bar near there, on Curtis Parkway/NW 57th avenue in Miami Springs next to the airport called Bryson's Irish Pub. Back in 1972, George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars series, flew into Miami and was stranded when his flight out cancelled due to a maintenance issue and the airline couldn't get him out until the next day. The company put him in a cheap hotel nearby, and bored he walked down the street to this bar. At the time it was a hangout for "Corrosion corner" pilots and mechanics, and it is telling that he said that the cantina scene in the original Star Wars movie was based upon the characters he saw in this bar.......] Cut forward 10 years: No more piston stuff, the DC-3,4,6 and Boeing 367's are all beer cans. And there are tons of 727's and DC-8's all over the place......But ~~NO~~ Boeing 707's. What happened to all the B707's? Simple: The United States Department of Defense bought every single one of them that they could. They became the KC-135's and this RC-135 aircraft, along with the AWACS and several others. Most have been re-engined with CFM-56 engines which provide nearly twice the power with 2/3 the fuel consumption. The airplanes that you are looking at in this video? They were probably American or TWA or Pan Am airliners that your parents flew on at one point. Great video!

[@ryankenyon5010]

Not true. They were purchased for parts. There were no conversions.

[@Flies2FLL]

@@ryankenyon5010 You are thinking about the airplanes that were purchased for their engines, around 200 I think. Many airframes wound up with the USAF and are still flying. Thanx!

[@originflightstudios2863]

The entire RC fleet currently with the exception of the WC were all built as RC-135 platforms or converted from the EC-135 which itself was specially built on its own. All the 135 designations RC/WC/TC/KC/EC-135 were not converted from civilian 707s. The reason being is that all 135 platforms were designed from the Dash 80 which the civilian world never had. The air force did have some 707 types which were designated -137s. So your statement on all the civilian 707s were converted to KCs and RCs is 100% not true. Furthur proof can be gained by looking at each tailnumber for all the 135 platforms and their date of manufacture and what designation. Other than the Dash 80, there has never been a civilian version of the -135 series.

[@Flies2FLL]

@@originflightstudios2863 Do you happen to know the interior fuselage width of the 135 platform? The commercial 707/727/737/757 all were 144 inches.

[@originflightstudios2863]

@@Flies2FLL You are mistaken, civilian 707s were 148 inches wide, all the -135 series aircraft are 144 inches.

[@tomkimberly2849]

I flew out of Hellenikon on the Rivet Joint as I recall anyway, from 84-85 timeframe. We could 'call' a refueling or landing, not sure about takeoff. Both were interesting experiences, sitting on a camera case between pilot and copilot, hooked into their channel on the mic. Pilot (a major or captain as I recall) hooked up and transferred the fuel pretty smoothly the couple times I got to do it. Then he handed it over to the copilot (1Lt) for practice. That was hairy. I could see the boom operator paying close attention and the boom moving around quite a bit. It got close to the windshield and also clanked off the top. Maybe it was some turbulence not pilot skills, either way it was exciting. Then on landing, sitting on that camera case, I had a drop of fluid land on my head on approach. I notified the pilot and he said aww, it's probably the landing gear, no worries. Funny. He said something about cranking it down by hand but that memory is sorta lost in time. I do remember that if we screwed up discipline on the comms to the different roles on the plane we'd have to buy the whole crew a round. Never had to haha.

[@hollyscarff]

I’ve seen one of these before, such a cool aircraft

[@Penfold101]

3:52 146 tons is it's maximum take-off weight (aircraft, fuel, cargo, equipment, people, rations, toilets etc) not the maximum payload. If it was, it would be carrying more than a C-5 Galaxy.

[@andersjjensen]

Thank you. It felt off to me too, but I wasn't sure, as I'm a ground grunt :P

[@Penfold101]

@@andersjjensen Me too! 22 years as an aircraft engineer in the UK, just a bit more of an aircraft nerd than most of my colleagues…

[@MS08GAMING]

Litterally just saw one of these fly over my house at about 3000 ft. Such a cool plane too see and man it was loud.

[@G_Vegas22]

I used to fix these👌🏾

[@dreamhackian4864]

thank you for your service!

[@philippgruninger9504]

Very nice Job Sir. I did a lot of Research while building a 1/48 scale Model of RC-135S Rivet Ball. I had the chance to get in contact with a crewmember of Rivet Ball. Great work on keeping the legacy of These interesting Planes.

[@nausea01]

Was part of a Marine detachment at NSA Souda Bay, Crete that guarded these planes in 1994. Would walk around it for 6 hours on, 6 hours off for three days. The tarmac was hot as hell during the summer.

[@KendlickLama]

Egg

[@Gr8thxAlot]

I happen to live where they occasionally train on these. They fly low, fast, loud, and are amazing to see!

[@cousinfester4621]

Actually the RB-47 preceded the RC-135. I know the old RC-135 well. I spent three years at Offutt with the 55th in the early 1970s. The interior you show in no way resembles the interior I was familiar with. The aircraft was loaded with grey LRU boxes. No, there were no turbo fan engines initially on these airplanes. The engines would scream as the aircraft took off in sub-zero (Fahrenheit) weather and the water injection turned on.

[@snyderpl]

My dad was a pilot (co-pilot, then AC, then IP) with the 55th from 67-77 with a break from 70-71 to fly CH-53s out of Thailand. During the mid 70s, he was flying Looking Glass. His name was Al Snyder

[@CAPNMAC82]

Ugh, it can be annoying to bold enough to remember things that happened within my lifetime. USAF needed to replace its KC-97 tankers, and wanted a et. Boeing then ginned up the KC125 to meet the RFP. USAF was foot-dragging on the deal mostly as Douglas was teasing a tanker version DC-8. So, Boeing then started the 736-20 project to test the commercial waters out, and to compete with the DC-8. Which, it turned out Douglas could not build in the quantity they thought they could. So, the KC-135 gets a greenlight. Which paved the way for the 707. While they were at it, USAF was looking into replacing the C-124 fleet, and could Boeing pretty please make some C-135 (which were rapidly replaced with C-141). The EC-135 was the outcome of the failed C135 program (and a replacement for the aging EC-121s). The RC-135 were the stepchildren of that evolution, as they were already fitted up with additional electrical power for consoles and the like..

[@sthede1000]

I was reading about this plane and saw that in the 60s they had mounted a super powerful Hughes radar system into the airplane that weighed 35,000 pounds. That system needed so much power, they had to add an additional engine onto the airplane, just for the radar system. When it flew it was the heaviest military airplane that had ever flown. I just love the idea that four of the engines were for flying, the 5th was just for the radar.

[@aaasss4077]

Love the B-50 refueling vid. I was just thinking of all that Avgas flowing in the overhead.

[@danielkarlsson9326]

Dont know if anyone else has pointed it out but here i go, The end of 1982 Korean Air Lines Flight 007 has been found out and it was mostly thanks to a Senior KGB official saving the CVR and FDR recordings when even more Senior officials wanted them destroyed. Boris Jeltsin personally handed them over to the Korean President as a sign of goodwill after the fall of the Sovjet. Diffrent Times when the world was filled with hope of a better tomorrow. Id recommend watching the Ait Ctash Investigation episode on it (S9E5 Korean Air Lines Flight 007)

[@toddlerj102]

You thank us Simon for watching, we thank you Simon for making the interesting educational content sir!

[@OldManAzeban]

I knew they flew RC-135V/Ws out of RAF Mildenhall when I served at RAF Lakenheath.

[@ryanmillerrm33]

Im stationed at offutt right now waiting to start class, im assigned to the rivet joint🤘🏻

[@exo068]

Can you please make a video about the heavy weapons now being sent to Ukraine like the PzH2000, Gepard and the M777 howitzer! Great video as always!!

[@neale4774]

You guys should do a video on the Finnish bunker system they built during the Cold War, I saw it on the news lately and that would make an excellent video. Also this one was amazing!

[@vixinite]

My dad is a maintainer on them, this video really helps me realize how important his job is

[@mewedwerwer7714]

What about the KC-135? Been involved in just about every military operation since Vietnam. Not as sexy as the RC but I think worthy of a story.

[@jakelandry5645]

you did it!!!! yes! I was a crew chief on this aircraft for 3 years! now, on to the video!

[@norwegiangangsta]

Nice. What do you think about it's usage in the current conflict. Can it do it even better but is restricted due the hot border?

[@jakelandry5645]

@@norwegiangangsta it's been doing what it's designed to all along. There's a lot of information missing here as well, as there's just simply not enough time in 18min to cover all of the "RC-135" varients/models. The V/W is the "Spy plane". The U is the "Combat Sent" totally different mission. Then the S, the "Cobra ball(sac)" which has the iconic matte black wing for the onboard middle tracking cameras. Yeah, that plane is a very serious asset, and while it doesn't carry weapons that are actual munitions...it's force can be a lot more deadly.

[@norwegiangangsta]

@@jakelandry5645 🙌

[@AMX-30B]

Love watching/listening to everything you make Simon but this episode needed some more fact checking and reviewing

[@peytonr8018]

Probably not his fault, this plane is purposefully kept pretty secret

[@xrysoryba]

@@peytonr8018 I was actually pretty surprised at the amount of info he had. When I flew on them back in the 60s-70s the internal configuration of the aircraft was classified SECRET.

[@estudiordl]

Planes, planes, planes. Give me all the planes Simon!!! 😁😃😃😃

[@adamherrera8958]

could not agree more!!!

[@TheEvilCommenter]

Good video 👍

[@manh2704]

Outside in my backyard in Bellevue, literally watching these land and takeoff as I type this. Feel like you can never learn too much history. Could watch these all day

[@videogameplayer0552]

I’ve over flown Offutt a few times in my flight training, and it’s really amazing to see these beautiful planes up close.

[@alancranford3398]

The Rivet Joint aircraft was far more flexible than spy satellites and far more capable than recon drones. The US Air Force since 1940 welded itself to a 72-hour mission cycle but that can be changed--and a mission in progress can be scrapped, and the airplane diverted if absolutely necessary. A spy satellite takes years of planning and preparation--and once in orbit, there's little than can be done to change spy satellite coverage. Drones are getting better but still are a more limited platform--with the advantage of when the drone falls out of the sky, the pilot simply has a cup of coffee and writes up a loss report from the comfort and safety of a remote-control site. Modern JSTARS and beyond do things that drones and satellites cannot. That's also why the U-2/TR-1 is still flying: does things other platforms cannot.

[@Dave-gd1mw]

Yes! I’d love to see one on AWACS/Airborne radar aircraft.

[@badguy1481]

Great video. Somewhat familiar with the RC-135. You might also consider doing a program on the EC-47 used in Vietnam?

[@superwout]

Sweeet, such an obscure in the huge line up of aircraft types in SEA

[@badguy1481]

@@superwout It's been claimed (although maybe hard to prove) that the EC-47's provided 90% of the information used to target B-52 strikes in S.E. Asia. That was EXPECIALLY important in the 1971/72 timeframe when there were very few American ground troops left in Vietnam to provide such information.

[@badguy1481]

@@superwout The "obscurity" was INTENTIONAL...and... ESSENTIAL.

[@kenhelmers2603]

Cool plane!

[@guillaumemichel3156]

A quick vocabulary nit-pick: 146 tons would be the Max Take Off Weight. Payload is that part of the take off weight that is not the empty weight, the crew, equipment and fuel. Keep up he great work, always a pleasure to watch :-)

[@jaredkelly930]

RC-135s have been flying laps over eastern Wyoming for years. Guessing training, it’s a pretty consistent thing.

[@bendover6701]

I used to put oxygen masks and stuff in these in the 2000s. I recognized 2 crewchiefs in one of the stills. Thanks Simon

[@adamherrera8958]

Always love the Megaprojects vids!! (especially the airplane ones!!!). Simon, I think you probably misspoke, because the Korean Air flight shot down, was a 747, like shown in the pic, but said 737 aircraft…. Im by no means making any criticism, you and your team create amazing informative content!! just thought if you would want to know as it seems like you go out of your way to be accurate. Keep up the great job!!

[@gregmiller7123]

Really liked the video! During the 90's-early 00's I helped design and sold custom maintenance stands to an USAF subcontractor that did the major work on RC-135's. They are remarkable aircraft and though I wasn't told most of the capabilities I gathered that it basically could hear a field mouse fart 50 miles away at 35,000 ft.! 😳 The main reasons for its longevity are low cycle numbers and the fact that even though the aircraft was built in the 1960's, when they were brought in and everything was stripped out of it and replaced with the latest known (and unknown) technology and since they re-engined it, it is almost new. Unlike the Russian aircraft we are seeing now that still have tube technology.

[@jakelandry5645]

you could've made 3 videos on the RC variants alone. or, the history of the 135, 707 and Tex Johnson

[@cg9952]

Combat Sent RC-135U does not have hognose. S models no longer have a tracking dome

[@djpalindrome]

The CFM International CFM56 was retrofitted only in 2005. From 1961 until then, it was the Pratt and Whitney TF33, which you didn’t mention

[@eaphantom9214]

Sucker for all vehicles! 😍👏👍👍 + I now recognise that rev o'meter as part of the Megaprojects intro after 3 years! - It's from the PS4 Network menu theme shop! 0:20 Shown since the beginning of this channel! (2019)

[@PoojaSharma-bp6nv]

Dude your videos are amazing please do the f 22 raptor I think it would be great mega project it’s changed military aviation so much plus a lot of people would like to see that😀😀

[@dpete33]

My father was actually one of those on board Rivet Amber when it disappeared. From what I hear, he was a decent guy. I wouldn't know... Dead heroes make crappy parents.

[@byronlefevre8266]

Petition to do a megaprojects on simons beard.

[@ydid687]

i miss Mriya :(

[@WAL_DC-6B]

The prototype Boeing 707 is generally referred to as "the Dash 80."

[@JustaPilot1]

If you'er ever in the DC area Dash 80 is on display a the Smithsonian Air And Space Museum in Chantilly Virginia.

[@allangibson2408]

And the Dash 80 shared zero parts with a production 707 (and the C-135 has almost zero parts in common with the 707 - because they changed the fuselage diameter on the 707). The C-137 is the military version of the 707.

[@rickgrendel1]

Great to see one of my recommendations again! Can I now recommend E-3 Sentry?

[@stolly27]

legend has it that this plane was in the air near Ukraine when the Moskva went swimming with the submarines. lol

[@Kilo-Mike]

You forgot to mention the original ones on an island in the middle of the bearing sea. They had hangers there were they would be deployed at a moments notice to research the russin missle tests. The plane also had a 5th engine for power just to power the crafts electrónics. Russian pilots were also so scared of the plane when it was airborne due to the immense amounts of radiation it would emit. The rivet joint can also detect anything that moves to the size of a futbol from 500 miles away, and map an entire battlefield in realtime in 3d and relay this info to other command aircraft. How about a doing a mega project on the project Loon, spy ballons. Currently in use globally.

[@dpete33]

My father flew from Shemya in the Aleutian islands. Plane disappeared, all hands missing presumed KIA.

[@chiplayton3469]

There was an incident in the early 90's where a Peruvian jet fighter shot up a Rivet Joint while on counternarc mission. I think one of the crew members got sucked out of the plane.

[@Narvask]

Cool video. Just a thing, I googled you to see if you had a website full of these kind of things as I love this stuff. Oddly the first thing that came up with your name was: "Is Simon Whistler Real"! An episode for Decoding the Unknown right there!!

[@averagegingernut434]

a video on fighter air to air refueling would be interesting

[@TommygunNG]

Unsung hero craft like this need more attention. The shooters wouldn't know what to shoot with recon.

[@peytonr8018]

We prefer to stay hidden, easier to do our jobs:)

[@beachboy0505]

Excellent video Mega project Now we see that these planes ✈️ are used to detect warships in the Black Sea 🌊 for targeting .

[@steelking22]

The Boeing 367-80 was developed to sell the USAF a jet refueling tanker and a jet transport. Boeing borrowed more than the worth of the company to build and test the Dash-80 and to improve its facilities, all to convince the USAF that they could rapidly build jet aircraft. While the Boeing 707 airliner can also be traced back to the 367-80, the USAF had been flying its KC-135As for almost 3 full years before Boeing received a purchase order for a civilian 707. The 707 is a version of the KC-135, not the other way as you state.

[@billkipper3264]

Also stationed at Eielson AFB in Alaska. Actually, the RC-135 entered service in 1961 while the B-52 entered in 1955 and the C-130 in 1956, making them the longest running aircraft in continuous service. I was stationed at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage at the time of the KAL 007 shoot down. The grapevine at the time said the Russians were tracking the RC-135 and lost it in bad weather. They thought later they had reacquired the aircraft when in fact it was the airliner and shot it down. Basically, the story we know today and as stated by Simon.

[@snyderpl]

In the mid 60s, dad was a co-pilot on an RC-135 out of Eielson, flying a similar route. He was part of a two ship element of RCs that were looking for Soviet radar stations along the Pacific coast. They knew about several, but suspected others. They were flying nose to tail to appear as one aircraft. After penetrating Soviet airspace (and recording all the electronic signals to better jam them, they split high and right and low and left. Several unknown stations came on and then the Migs came up and they retreated as fast as they could. Dad earned a DFC for that mission.