History

The Boeing KC-46 is an aerial refueller and military transport aircraft developed in the United States in the 2010s. It is replacing earlier generation of the aerial tankers in service with the US Air Force.

The United States Air Force began seeking a replacement for its ageing fleet of KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft around 2001 but it was not until 2011 that the air force selected the KC-46 for production. It is a militarized and updated version of the Boeing 767 airliner that first flew in 1981.

The first KC-46 made its first flight on 25 September 2015 and they were introduced to service in 2019.

It is planned that 179 of these aircraft will be manufactured and 93 had been delivered by the end of 2024.

This model represents a KC-46 flying with the 64nd Air Refuelling Wing in 2025.

Welsh Models 1/144 kit completed by Leigh Edmonds in May 2025

Data

MODEL: Boeing KC-46A

ROLE: Tanker and transport aircraft

TIME PERIOD: 2015-

ENGINES: two Pratt & Whitney PW4062 turbofan engines of 280kN thrust each

WING SPAN: 48.1m

LENGTH: 50.5m

MAXIMUM TAKE OFF WEIGHT: 188,2404kg

CRUISING SPEED: 188,2404kg

RANGE: 11,830km

PAYLOAD: 29,500kg including passengers, freight pallets, 58 patients or 118,200 litres of fuel

CREW: 3

SCALE: 1/144

KIT:

GALLERIES: , ,

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