Author Topic: Recommended Tanker speeds (Read 1368 times)

AG-51_Thud · « **on:** December 12, 2017, 08:45:06 AM »

In reguards to inflight refueling tanker, what air speeds do you recommend for the S-3B?

AG-51_Fireball · « **Reply #1 on:** December 12, 2017, 11:47:06 AM »

I've been setting it at about 230 knots IAS. I'm sure that's based on something I read somewhere. I'll try to find the source when I get back in town.

AG-51_Thud · « **Reply #2 on:** December 12, 2017, 12:27:16 PM »

Thanks.

AG-51_Razor · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2017, 12:43:58 PM »

It also depends a great deal on what altitude you have the tanker track set to. I am pretty sure that the airspeeds you put into the ME are true airspeed and what we end up seeing on our HUD behind the basket is indicated airspeed. I recall that we used 350 for the IL-78 up at 25000' back when we were flying the modded Hornets.

Apache600 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2017, 01:49:48 PM »

When you set the speeds in ME, you're setting true speeds (think ground speed if there's zero wind). That's why Razor's comment is spot on. 270Knots at 6,000 feet is going to be about 230IAS, where as 270Knots at 25,000 would be roughly 160IAS.