I took a few comments in the 767-400ER Tanker Conundrum and I felt it was necessary to expand on what I was getting at.
One reader pointed out that the -400ER has a landing gear height advantage over the -200, so my calculations (which were admittedly rough) were definitively off.
I decided to use a slightly less rough way of assessing the tail strike situation. Using data from Boeing’s 767 Airport Planning Document, I was able to find all the proper dimensions to compare the 767-200ER and 767-400ER. This allowed me to take into account both the difference in landing gear height and the slightly smaller tire radius on the -200. Using some makeshift 3D CAD modeling, I was able to link the bogey rotation to the rotation of the entire fuselage to figure out where the tail might strike.
The fuselage pieces were centered over the main landing gear and extended rearward based to the front of the bulk cargo door, which as far as I can tell, is a likely strike point on the bottom of the fuselage. The 767-200ER would strike at 9.5 degrees and the 767-400ER would strike at 6.5 degrees (estimated). Keep in mind, this is for the commercial models and doesn’t take in to account the installation of the refueling boom and other external equipment that would limit the rotation angle on the fuselage.
This may be a purely frivolous exercise, but it was good for wrapping my head around the issue a 767-400ER tanker might face.
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.