W.W.II Aerial Refueling

[Brooke]

The author of Victory Through Air Power (1942) Seversky patented air-to-air refueling in 1929.

Aerial refueling - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Aircraft

W.W.II bombers would have made good tankers, so why were there no tankers in W.W.II?
My guess is that the powers in charge could not see the benefit, just like the AF higher ups who blocked side firing gunships for many decades.

PS is there a reference to side firing bi-planes?

 

[ThomasP]

The RAF was just getting a system put together at the end of the war, intended for Tiger Force in the Far East. It was baed on the pre-war Flight Refueling Limited system.

Imperial Airways had used the system for their cross-Atlantic 'C' class Empire flying boats. I do not remember the exact number but IIRC it had been used at least 15 times on the route - without any serious problem - by the time WWII started and the refueling operations ceased.

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View: https://www.reddit.com/r/AviationElevated/comments/10r5utc/in_1939_imperial_airways_operated_15_mailcargo/"

 

[smutny]

The book "Low on Gas - High on Sky" is a good read about the first non-stop flight across the US. The challenges of first generation aerial refueling is quite fascinating.