420th Air Refueling Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 420th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last was assigned to the 3d Air Force, stationed at RAF Sculthorpe
, England
. It was inactivated on 25 March 1964.
to provide dedicated in flight refueling, initially for F-84s and later for other in-flight refueling capable TAC fighter and fighter bombers. The 420th was the first dedicated TAC aerial refueling squadron when activated at Alexandria AFB, Louisiana.
The squadron received KB-29Ps fitted with the refueling boom.
In 1955, the unit was deployed to the United States Air Forces in Europe
, based at RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk, England, to provide air refueling for USAFE squadrons; it began re-equipping with the KB-50 Superfortress in 1957 which provided greater speed to refuel jet aircraft. KB-50s were modified to KB-50J configuration in 1958 which added a J-47 turbojet engine underneath each wing in place of the auxiliary fuel tanks to increase the speed of the aircraft. The KB-29P was phased out in 1958.
By 1963 aircraft were phased out due to age and being replaced by SAC KC-97 and KC-135s; squadron inactivated in early 1964 when KB-50Js sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last was assigned to the 3d Air Force, stationed at RAF Sculthorpe
RAF Sculthorpe
RAF Sculthorpe is a military training facility for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, situated about west of Fakenham in Norfolk, England...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was inactivated on 25 March 1964.
History
Established in 1954 by Tactical Air CommandTactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
to provide dedicated in flight refueling, initially for F-84s and later for other in-flight refueling capable TAC fighter and fighter bombers. The 420th was the first dedicated TAC aerial refueling squadron when activated at Alexandria AFB, Louisiana.
The squadron received KB-29Ps fitted with the refueling boom.
In 1955, the unit was deployed to the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, based at RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk, England, to provide air refueling for USAFE squadrons; it began re-equipping with the KB-50 Superfortress in 1957 which provided greater speed to refuel jet aircraft. KB-50s were modified to KB-50J configuration in 1958 which added a J-47 turbojet engine underneath each wing in place of the auxiliary fuel tanks to increase the speed of the aircraft. The KB-29P was phased out in 1958.
By 1963 aircraft were phased out due to age and being replaced by SAC KC-97 and KC-135s; squadron inactivated in early 1964 when KB-50Js sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan.
Lineage
- Established as the 420th Air Refueling Squadron on 15 March 1954
- Inactivated on 25 March 1964
Assignments
- Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
, 15 Mar 1954 - 47th Bombardment Wing, 4 Oct 1955
- Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 1 Sep 1963-25 Mar 1964
Stations
- Alexandria AFB, Louisiana, 15 Mar 1954
- RAF SculthorpeRAF SculthorpeRAF Sculthorpe is a military training facility for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, situated about west of Fakenham in Norfolk, England...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 4 Oct 1955-25 Mar 1964
Aircraft
- KB-29P SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 1954-1958 - KB-50/KB-50J SuperfortressBoeing B-50 SuperfortressThe Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
, 1957-1964