Boom actuators play key role on refuelling tanker
The US Air Force has accepted the first Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft, setting the stage for the aircraft’s delivery to McConnell Air Force Base, in Wichita, Kan, in the coming weeks. Central to the tanker’s operation are the fly-by-wire refuelling boom actuators supplied by Moog Aircraft Group. These actuators allow the boom operator to control the deployment and positioning of the aerial refueling boom during refueling operations. Moog Aircraft Group received the order from Boeing, which itself was selected to build the next generation KC-46 aircraft refueling tanker to replace 179 of the US Air Force’s KC-135 tankers. Moog supplies flight control and other actuation system products to other Boeing aircraft including the F-15, F-18, V-22, and the 787. The KC-46, derived from Boeing’s commercial 767 airframe, is built in Boeing’s Everett, Wash, facility.
