RC-135 Rivet Joint
Boeing · USA · first flew 1964 · reconnaissance aircraft
The RC-135 Rivet Joint is a signals-intelligence variant of the C-135 airframe bristling with antenna fairings, instantly distinguishable from the KC-135 tanker by its bulged cheek panels and absence of a refuelling boom.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turbofan, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Distinctive cheek fairings and blade antennae covering nose and fuselage sides — absent on KC-135 tanker |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Distinctive cheek fairings and blade antennae covering nose and fuselage sides — absent on KC-135 tanker
- Thimble-shaped nose radome and numerous blade/blade-stub antennae along spine and belly
- No refuelling boom or drogue on the tail; no cargo door — purely a signals-intelligence platform
Against the KC-135R: large cheek radomes and spine antennae versus the tanker's clean fuselage; no refuelling boom; the spine has a row of blade antennae that no tanker variant carries.
Specifications
- The RC-135 Rivet Joint has a length of 41.1 m (135 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 39.9 m (131 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 933 km/h (580 mph).
- Typical crew: 27-35 (flight and mission).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Converted from C-135 airframes beginning in the 1960s and continuously updated, Rivet Joint aircraft have been operated by the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB and leased to the RAF as the Airseeker (RC-135W) from 2013.
Variants
RC-135V and RC-135W Rivet Joint are the primary current marks; earlier RC-135S Cobra Ball and RC-135U Combat Sent carry different antenna configurations for different collection missions.
Where you'll see it
The RAF operates three RC-135Ws as Airseeker, replacing the Nimrod R.1 in the SIGINT role; the aircraft routinely operate from RAF Waddington.
Related aircraft
- Boeing 727
- Boeing 727-100
- Boeing VC-96
- Boeing 727-200
- Lockheed D-21
- Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
- MiG-25R
- RC-135V Rivet Joint
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.