Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker

The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. Boeing gave it the internal designation Model 717, and its fuselage is narrower and shorter than the 707. It was the United States Air Force first jet-powered tanker, replacing the piston-engined KC-97 Stratofreighter, and was first tasked with refueling strategic bombers before serving in Vietnam and later conflicts to extend the range of fighters and bombers. It entered service in 1957 and is one of only a few military aircraft with more than sixty years of continuous service with their original operator.