Credit
U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
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At a glance
Measured figures
RC-135 · Length
Single source136 ft 3 in (41.53 m)[source]
Falcon 900B · Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | Boeing RC-135 | Dassault Falcon 900 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Reconnaissance aircraft[source] | Business jet[source] |
| Manufacturer | Boeing (airframe) L3Harris Technologies[source] | Dassault Aviation[source] |
| Status | In service[source] | Active service, in production[source] |
| Primary users | United States Air Force Royal Air Force[source] | French Air and Space Force Japan Coast Guard Nigerian Air Force Royal Malaysian Air Force |
20.21 m (66 ft 4 in)[source]
RC-135 · Height
Single source41 ft 8 in (12.70 m)[source]
Empty; RC-135 · Empty weight
Single sourceGross; RC-135 · Gross weight
Single sourceMaximum take-off; RC-135 · Max takeoff weight
Single source124,000 lb (56,245 kg)[source]
297,000 lb (134,717 kg)[source]
322,500 lb (146,284 kg)[source]
Empty; Falcon 900B · Empty weight
Single sourceMaximum take-off; Falcon 900B · Max takeoff weight
Single sourceRC-135 · 4 × CFM International F-108-CF-201 turbofan engines thrust each
Single source4 × CFM International F-108-CF-201 turbofan engines, 22,000 lbf (98 kN) thrust each[source]
Falcon 900B · 3 × Honeywell TFE731 -5BR-1C turbofans thrust each
Single source3 × Honeywell TFE731 -5BR-1C turbofans , 21.13 kN (4,750 lbf) thrust each[source]
RC-135 · 4,900 ft/min (
Single source4,900 ft/min (25 m/s)[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Number built | 32 total airframes across all iterations[source] | >500[source] |
|---|
| Introduction date | 1961[source] | — |
|---|
| Developed from | Boeing C-135 Stratolifter[source] | Dassault Falcon 50[source] |
|---|
| Capacity | 21–27 depending on mission requirements, minimum consisting of 4 Electronic Warfare Officers (Ravens), 14 Intelligence Operators and 4 Airborne Systems Engineers (mission crew)[source] | 19 passengers[source] |
|---|
| Airfoil | root: BAC 310/311/312; tip: BAC 313[source] | — |
|---|
| Country of origin | United States[source]Country/countries explicitly given in the equipment row Origin column; not the country operating the row. Jet | — |
|---|
| National origin | — | France[source] |
|---|
| Manufactured | — | 1984–present[source] |
|---|
| First flight | — | 21 September 1984 ( 1984-09-21 )[source] |
|---|
| Developed into | — | Dassault Falcon 2000 Dassault Falcon 7X[source] |
|---|
| Fuel capacity | — | 8,690 kg (19,160 lb)[source] |
|---|
| Aspect ratio | — | 7.63:1[source] |
|---|
| Stall speed | — | 158 km/h (98 mph, 85 kn) (wheels and flaps down)[source] |
|---|