Buddy to Buddy Refueling

[C130]

I'm pretty interesting into fighters refueling others fighters and other support aircraft.

particularly the F-18 SH

The Super Hornet, unlike the previous Hornet, is designed so it can be equipped with an aerial refueling system (ARS) or "buddy store" for the refueling of other aircraft,[47] filling the tactical airborne tanker role the Navy had lost with the retirement of the KA-6D and Lockheed S-3B Viking tankers. The ARS includes an external 330 US gal (1,200 L) tank with hose reel on the centerline, along with four external 480 US gal (1,800 L) tanks and internal tanks, for a total of 29,000 lb (13,000 kg) of fuel on the aircraft.[47][48] On typical missions a fifth of the air wing is dedicated to the tanker role, which consumes aircraft fatigue life expectancy faster than other missions


now if they added conformal fuels tanks to the Super Hornet which they already have for the ASH demonstrator that would add another 3,500 pounds of fuel so with 5 wet statation and CFTs and internal fuel that's 32,500 pounds of fuel (14,500kg)

 

[Abingdonboy]

MiG-29K-MIG-35 buddy-buddy refuelling:

MiG-29K refuelling an IAF MiG-29UPG:

IAF Su-30MKI refuelling a Mirage 2000H:

Rafales:

The future:

Another one because:

 

[Penguin]

 

[Mabs]

MiG-29K-MIG-35 buddy-buddy refuelling:

MiG-29K refuelling an IAF MiG-29UPG:

IAF Su-30MKI refuelling a Mirage 2000H:

Rafales:

The future:

Another one because:

They should get a room. Nobody wants to see this

 

[Jai_Hind]

Iranian Su-24MK Tactical Bombers Demonstrate Buddy Refueling Capability

Iranian Su-24MK Tactical Bombers Demonstrate Buddy Refueling Capability

 

[Fenrir]

KQ-X

Northrop Grumman Corporation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center took a major step toward demonstrating autonomous aerial refueling between two unmanned, high altitude aircraft, an operation never before performed. In a key risk reduction flight test, Northrop Grumman's Proteus test aircraft and a NASA Global Hawk flew as close as 40 feet apart at an altitude of 45,000 feet, an industry-setting record.

Old School

Refueling while refueling so you can fly while you fly

Navy style

Sub to Airship refueling?

Blimp from Naval Air Station Key West refueling from submarine near Key West.

 

[Fenrir]

USS Guavina refueling a P5M seaplane.

 

[Abingdonboy]

KQ-X

Northrop Grumman Corporation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center took a major step toward demonstrating autonomous aerial refueling between two unmanned, high altitude aircraft, an operation never before performed. In a key risk reduction flight test, Northrop Grumman's Proteus test aircraft and a NASA Global Hawk flew as close as 40 feet apart at an altitude of 45,000 feet, an industry-setting record.

Old School

Refueling while refueling so you can fly while you fly

Navy style

Sub to Airship refueling?

Blimp from Naval Air Station Key West refueling from submarine near Key West.

That's cute, but I have you beat:

 

[Fenrir]

That's cute, but I have you beat:

Cool, but it's been 9 years since that concept was revealed and we've nothing to show for it.

Air-Borne Re-Arming Concept for strike aircraft and UCAVs

At this point it's as relevant or real as a flying aircraft carrier.

Oh, wait

Watch a drone take off from a flying aircraft carrier



I'm hopeful, but air-to-air rearming is going to a dangerous engineering challenge.