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Recently I picked up 'History of Air-to-Air Refuelling' by Richard M. Tanner MBE published by Pen & Sword, 2006.
It has a complete history of Flight Refuelling Limited's projects and developments. A couple of these have been briefly mentioned elsewhere but I thought a dedicated thread would be useful, here I'll go over some of the projects in the post-war period. I've already added some info about the FR series of airliner studies elsewhere on the forum.
Meteor and Lancaster Refuelling
In 1949 Flight Refuelling proposed a modified Loop System method to refuel the Gloster Meteor from a Lancaster. The receiver equipment would now be pilot operated rather than being the laborious system used before with a dedicated operator. Basically the Lancaster would trail a line, the Meteor would trail a hauling line across the path of the tanker's line, then the couplings would link and the tanker would winch the Meteor's hauling line to its receiver and then the Meteor would winch back the fuel hose. The Meteor would have the windlass located in the lower centre fuselage aft of the ventral fuel tank with the recepetion coupling in a fairing beneath the fuselage. The Lancaster tanker would have had the hose drum fitted to the fuselage floor above the rear of the bomb bay and with a reinforced fairing and operators position replacing the tail turret. The Air Ministry wasn't satisified and it remained a project only, of course the Hose and Drogue system trialled not much later proved much simplier.
BAC Lightning
It was proposed to fit a retractable probe to the Lightning on the port side of the fuselage. A mock-up was trialled but rejected in favour of the fixed probe under the port wing.
Blackburn Buccaneer Tanker
In the late 1950s a Buccaneer tanker was proposed with a Mk XXI refuelling package mounted in the bomb bay. This was to transfer 300 Imperial gallons a minute. A full-scale Mk XXI mockup was built which would fit into the bomb bay, the hose drum being lowered for fuel transfer and enclosed by retractable doors in flight. The basic Mk XXI was completd and undergoing testing when the contract was cancelled. Instead the Buccaneer later received Mk 20C underwing pods.
TSR.2
The Mk XXVI pack designed for the TSR.2 has been illustrated in books and is probably fairly well-known. It was designed to transfer 300 imp gallons a minute and the package would contain a 450-gal tank. It was to operate at Mach 0.9 at 33,000ft. The retractable boom ensured a 12 foot vertical seperation. The drum unit was similar to the Mk XXI. A prototype was to have been flight tested by Canberra WH734.
HS Argosy
In January 1963 Flight Refuelling carried out a feasibility scheme for the Ministry of Aviation for converting the C.Mk.1 fleet. The first tanker proposal used three Flight Refuelling Ltd. Portable Overload (POL) tanks in the cabin which would supply 2,190 imp gals to a Mk 20D (a modified 20C) refuelling pod suspended from a pylon beneath the port parachute door. The second proposal had four standard overload tanks in the cabin for 1,720 imp gals. A third proposal used two POL tanks to extend the range of the Argosy. Argosy XN814 was converted as a tanker and XN816 was fitted as a receiver with a probe and carried out trials but the project progressed no further.
Handley Page HP.99
The HP.99 low-level bomber has been described in BSP 2, Jet Bombers Since 1950. It was planned that the HP.99 would take off with a light fuel load and then take on 90,000lbs of fuel before heading to its target. This required a new refuelling system capable of transferring 1,000 gallons a minute that would be fitted to Victors or Vulcans. The Mk XIX package was mocked-up using the Valiant's Mk XVI hose drum unit (it was also proposed to use this unit in production packages to build up the tanker fleet before entry into service of the HP.99) but the prototype had an enlarge Mk XIX hose drum with a new 4in wide hose. Two fuel pumps were used. Much of the testing work was complete when the HP.99 was abandoned.
Mk 20 Pod Projects
Three Mk 20 pods were projects.
The Mk 20D was the sole unit produced for the Argosy tanker trial
The Mk 20F had a larger capacity fuel tank and additional booster pump and was intended for use on the naval Jaguar M. It was designed from May 1968. It could carry 1,250 litres of fuel.
The Mk 20G was proposed for the Tornado in 1984, being carried on the centreline MACE point.
Canberra Tanker
In 1975 BAC, Marshalls and Flight Refuelling Ltd formed a study into converting surplus Canberra B.2 bombers into single-point tankers for export nations buying the SEPECAT Jaguar. It would either use a Mk 20B or Mk 38 refuelling pod mounted under the port wing. Extra fuel was carried, one 650 imp gal tank in the bomb bay, and a 250 imp gal Jaguar droptank under the starboard wing. With tip-tanks and full load the Canberra could transfer 1,400 imp gallons at 140 gals per minute. 2,000 gallons could have been transferred but this risked fuel starvation to the engines. The navigator would operate the pod. No sales were made.
Shin Meiwa US-1
Flight Refuelling Ltd. made a study at the request of the Japanese Navy to fit tanker and receiver equipment to the US-1. It could use the vice-versa system developed in 1966 to refuel a stranded flying boat. The hose drum unit would be mounted in the tailcone along with the drogue and a ram-air turbine would be fitted to the base of the fin in a small blister. A retractable fuel probe would be mounted fitted.
Lockheed Tristar Three-Point Tanker
In June 1986 Marshalls proposed a three-point Tristar convesion by fitting two Mk 32A pods under the wings. A suitable location was found and two Tornados could safely refuel at once by using the centre drogue and one pod. This project never went to the hardware stage, although a Victor flew trials with a lengthened hose.
It has a complete history of Flight Refuelling Limited's projects and developments. A couple of these have been briefly mentioned elsewhere but I thought a dedicated thread would be useful, here I'll go over some of the projects in the post-war period. I've already added some info about the FR series of airliner studies elsewhere on the forum.
Meteor and Lancaster Refuelling
In 1949 Flight Refuelling proposed a modified Loop System method to refuel the Gloster Meteor from a Lancaster. The receiver equipment would now be pilot operated rather than being the laborious system used before with a dedicated operator. Basically the Lancaster would trail a line, the Meteor would trail a hauling line across the path of the tanker's line, then the couplings would link and the tanker would winch the Meteor's hauling line to its receiver and then the Meteor would winch back the fuel hose. The Meteor would have the windlass located in the lower centre fuselage aft of the ventral fuel tank with the recepetion coupling in a fairing beneath the fuselage. The Lancaster tanker would have had the hose drum fitted to the fuselage floor above the rear of the bomb bay and with a reinforced fairing and operators position replacing the tail turret. The Air Ministry wasn't satisified and it remained a project only, of course the Hose and Drogue system trialled not much later proved much simplier.
BAC Lightning
It was proposed to fit a retractable probe to the Lightning on the port side of the fuselage. A mock-up was trialled but rejected in favour of the fixed probe under the port wing.
Blackburn Buccaneer Tanker
In the late 1950s a Buccaneer tanker was proposed with a Mk XXI refuelling package mounted in the bomb bay. This was to transfer 300 Imperial gallons a minute. A full-scale Mk XXI mockup was built which would fit into the bomb bay, the hose drum being lowered for fuel transfer and enclosed by retractable doors in flight. The basic Mk XXI was completd and undergoing testing when the contract was cancelled. Instead the Buccaneer later received Mk 20C underwing pods.
TSR.2
The Mk XXVI pack designed for the TSR.2 has been illustrated in books and is probably fairly well-known. It was designed to transfer 300 imp gallons a minute and the package would contain a 450-gal tank. It was to operate at Mach 0.9 at 33,000ft. The retractable boom ensured a 12 foot vertical seperation. The drum unit was similar to the Mk XXI. A prototype was to have been flight tested by Canberra WH734.
HS Argosy
In January 1963 Flight Refuelling carried out a feasibility scheme for the Ministry of Aviation for converting the C.Mk.1 fleet. The first tanker proposal used three Flight Refuelling Ltd. Portable Overload (POL) tanks in the cabin which would supply 2,190 imp gals to a Mk 20D (a modified 20C) refuelling pod suspended from a pylon beneath the port parachute door. The second proposal had four standard overload tanks in the cabin for 1,720 imp gals. A third proposal used two POL tanks to extend the range of the Argosy. Argosy XN814 was converted as a tanker and XN816 was fitted as a receiver with a probe and carried out trials but the project progressed no further.
Handley Page HP.99
The HP.99 low-level bomber has been described in BSP 2, Jet Bombers Since 1950. It was planned that the HP.99 would take off with a light fuel load and then take on 90,000lbs of fuel before heading to its target. This required a new refuelling system capable of transferring 1,000 gallons a minute that would be fitted to Victors or Vulcans. The Mk XIX package was mocked-up using the Valiant's Mk XVI hose drum unit (it was also proposed to use this unit in production packages to build up the tanker fleet before entry into service of the HP.99) but the prototype had an enlarge Mk XIX hose drum with a new 4in wide hose. Two fuel pumps were used. Much of the testing work was complete when the HP.99 was abandoned.
Mk 20 Pod Projects
Three Mk 20 pods were projects.
The Mk 20D was the sole unit produced for the Argosy tanker trial
The Mk 20F had a larger capacity fuel tank and additional booster pump and was intended for use on the naval Jaguar M. It was designed from May 1968. It could carry 1,250 litres of fuel.
The Mk 20G was proposed for the Tornado in 1984, being carried on the centreline MACE point.
Canberra Tanker
In 1975 BAC, Marshalls and Flight Refuelling Ltd formed a study into converting surplus Canberra B.2 bombers into single-point tankers for export nations buying the SEPECAT Jaguar. It would either use a Mk 20B or Mk 38 refuelling pod mounted under the port wing. Extra fuel was carried, one 650 imp gal tank in the bomb bay, and a 250 imp gal Jaguar droptank under the starboard wing. With tip-tanks and full load the Canberra could transfer 1,400 imp gallons at 140 gals per minute. 2,000 gallons could have been transferred but this risked fuel starvation to the engines. The navigator would operate the pod. No sales were made.
Shin Meiwa US-1
Flight Refuelling Ltd. made a study at the request of the Japanese Navy to fit tanker and receiver equipment to the US-1. It could use the vice-versa system developed in 1966 to refuel a stranded flying boat. The hose drum unit would be mounted in the tailcone along with the drogue and a ram-air turbine would be fitted to the base of the fin in a small blister. A retractable fuel probe would be mounted fitted.
Lockheed Tristar Three-Point Tanker
In June 1986 Marshalls proposed a three-point Tristar convesion by fitting two Mk 32A pods under the wings. A suitable location was found and two Tornados could safely refuel at once by using the centre drogue and one pod. This project never went to the hardware stage, although a Victor flew trials with a lengthened hose.
