Finding visuals...
  • The Locator
  • Airframes Database

    Social media...
    Follow AV on facebook
    Follow AV on Twitter @aerial_visuals
    Follow the AV YouTube Channel

    Site navigation...
  • Home
  • Desktop Calendar
  • The Racers
  • FAQs
  • About Aerial Visuals
  • Comment on this Dossier

  • Search For Airframes Now
    Search - Index - Gallery - Reports - Lists - AV Needs You!

    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Boeing B707 / C-135 / C-137 / C-18 / E-3 / E-6 / E-8
    Latest Model:EC-135P Blue Eagle
    Last Military Serial:55-3129 USAF
    Construction Number:17245
    Compressed ID:Boeing EC-135P sn 55-3129 USAF cn 1...
    Latest Owner or Location:4950th Test Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE
    If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

    UPLOAD A PHOTO
    If you have a photo of this airframe to share then use the photo upload tool.

    The Airframes Database depends on user contributions to stay current.
    If you have any news about this airframe or photos which you would like to share please do so
    by using the links above.
    The more you and others share the better the database becomes!

    Dates

    Event

    30 April 1957

    Constructed as a KC-135A-BN.
    Factory roll out date

    By 11 June 1957

    First flight.

    28 June 1957

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Air Force with s/n 55-3129.

    Circa 1958

    Converted to a JKC-135A.

    Transferred to 4950th Test Wing, Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

    From Circa 1958 to Circa 1963

    Used as weightlessness trainer for Project Mercury astronauts.

    1979

    Converted to a NKC-135A.

    From 1979 to 1980

    Loaned to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, CA.
    A special wingtip winglet, developed by the Langley Research Center, was tested on the aircraft.

    24 July 1979


    Photographer: NASA Dryden Flight Research Cent

    20 August 1979


    Photographer: NASA Dryden Flight Research Cent

    January 1980

    Returned from loan to Wright Air Development Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

    28 June 1982

    Converted to a NKC-135E.

    From 7 April 1983 to June 1984

    Converted to an EC-135P.

    By June 1988

    Transferred to 6th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, VA.
    Operated with markings: Drogue Dragon

    13 November 1991


    Photographer: Peter Nicholson
    Notes: EC-135P from Langley AFB seen at MacDill AFB, Florida in November 1991.

    31 January 1992

    Transferred to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) with inventory number CA008.

    Transferred to 4950th Test Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

    Circa 1996


    Photographer: Ken Videan
    Notes: At the Pima Museum, Arizona.

    11 May 2016

    Scrapped.


    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.

    Credits
    Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...

    Print Sources
    Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker by Robert S. Hopkins III

    Internet Sources
    Airbus, Boeing, Convair and Douglas Production List
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher

    Individual Contributors
    Glenn Chatfield
    bob mebane

    Tell Others About this Airframe Dossier
    Forum Link: [URL=https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=115131][IMG]/home/users/web/b1393/nf.aerialvisuals/public_html/AV/Support/Logo_20x20.jpg[/IMG]Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Boeing EC-135P Blue Eagle, s/n 55-3129 USAF, c/n 17245[/URL]
    Direct Link: https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=115131

    Copyright 1993-2025 AerialVisuals.ca
    The Aerial Visuals pages are best viewed with a screen at least 800 pixels wide.
    In case you are wondering Aerial Visuals is a huge fan Google Chrome. If you do not have Chrome installed why not?
    Aerial Visuals requires cookies and Javascript to function correctly. Please ensure these features are enabled in your browser.
    Aerial Visuals is powered by Netfirms.