The story
Rivet Joint is the US Air Force's airborne signals-intelligence platform: a converted C-135 whose specialist crew listens across the electronic spectrum and passes what they find to commanders. The RAF flies three more as the Airseeker.
Rivet Joint has kept a continuous presence in Central Command since Desert Shield in August 1990, the longest unbroken deployment of any aircraft in the Air Force.
Quick answers
How do you identify a Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint?
A KC-135-shaped four-jet with a long 'thimble' nose and bulging 'cheek' fairings along the forward fuselage, plus antennas underneath. Gray, US Air Force or RAF markings.
What does a Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint sound like?
Four CFM56 engines on a KC-135 frame: a deep, steady airliner roar from an early-1960s airframe.
How fast is the Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint?
Top speed is 504 kts.
How far can the Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint fly?
Range is about 3,000 nmi.
How big is the Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint?
It is 136 ft 3 in long and 130 ft 10 in across the wings.
When did the Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint first fly?
Its first flight was in 1961.
How many Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joints have been built?
32 (all RC-135 versions) built.
How rare is a Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint in Bogey?
RARE. A good day. Most spotters go weeks between sightings of something this rare. Your first Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint catch is worth 250 points.
