Boeing E-6 Mercury
Boeing · United States · first flew 1987 · transport aircraft
The Boeing E-6 Mercury is an airborne command post and communications relay based on the Boeing 707-300.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turbofan, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Flying boom receptacle on the upper forward fuselage for air refuelling |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Boeing 707-300 airframe with four CFM56 turbofans under the swept low wing
- Flying boom receptacle on the upper forward fuselage for air refuelling
- Final new derivative of the 707, in United States Navy service
A four-engined 707-type jet with an air-refuelling receptacle on the forward upper fuselage.
Specifications
- The Boeing E-6 Mercury has a length of 45.82 m (150 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 45.21 m (148 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 967 km/h (601 mph).
- Typical crew: 22.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The first flight was on 19 February 1987 and the E-6A entered United States Navy service in July 1989. Production lasted until 1991, making it the last new derivative of the 707.
Variants
The original E-6A has been modified to E-6B standard, which can also remotely control Minuteman missiles through the Airborne Launch Control System. The E-6B replaced the Air Force EC-135C in the Looking Glass role.
Where you'll see it
It conveys orders from the National Command Authority to ballistic missile submarines, the TACAMO mission. Sixteen were built and the fleet is based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
Related aircraft
- Boeing VC-25
- Boeing 737-400
- Boeing 747-400
- Boeing 767-300ER
- Beechcraft C-12L Huron
- Cessna Citation V
- Ilyushin Il-80
- Learjet 31
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,266 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.