L3Harris proposes cockpit overhaul for ageing KC-135 tanker fleet
L3Harris has put forward a flight deck upgrade for the US Air Force's Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, aiming to keep the Eisenhower-era refuelling aircraft flying past 2050.
L3Harris has proposed a wide-ranging overhaul of the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker flight deck, as the US Air Force works to keep the half-century-old tanker fleet in service. The aircraft dates to the Eisenhower era.
L3Harris calls the proposal "Tanker Glass". The aim is to update the ageing aerial refuelling aircraft so they remain mission-ready and fly beyond 2050.
The KC-135 shares its design lineage with the prototype that produced the Boeing 707. The idea of digitising the aircraft arose only because of the long-delayed rollout of its successor.
Sources
- simpleflying.comThe Proposed Cockpit Upgrade That Could Keep 376 Boeing KC-135s Relevant Into The 2050s