427th Air Refueling Squadron

427th Air Refueling Squadron
Active	1956-1963
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Aerial Refueling

The 427th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4505th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 April 1963.

History

Established in 1956 by Tactical Air Command to provide dedicated in flight refueling, initially for F-100 Super Sabres and later for other in-flight refueling capable TAC fighter and fighter bombers. Initially equipped with transferred Strategic Air Command KB-29M Stratofortrresses that were converted to aerial tankers using a British-developed hose refueling system.

Re-equipped with KB-50 Superfortress in 1959 which provided greater speed to refuel jet aircraft. KB-50s were modified about 1960 to KB-50J configuration which added a J-47 turbojet engine underneath each wing in place of the auxiliary fuel tanks to increase the speed of the aircraft.

By 1962 aircraft were phased out due to age and being replaced by SAC KC-97 and KC-135s; squadron inactivated in early 1963 when KB-50Js sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan.

Lineage

• Established as 427th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1956

Activated on 7 Sep 1956

Inactivated on 1 Apr 1963

Assignments

• Ninth Air Force, 7 Sep 1956
• 4505th Air Refueling Wing, 1 Jul 1958-1 Apr 1963

Not operational, 9 Jan-1 Apr 1963

Stations

• Robins AFB, Georgia, 7 Sep 1956
• Langley AFB, Virginia, 1 Jan 1959-1 Apr 1963

Aircraft

• KB-29M Superfortress, 1956-1959
• KB-50/KB-50J Superfortress, 1959-1963

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• TacTankers.com - 421st Air Refueling Squadron