N781MA

This article covers a single airframe, the Boeing-built tanker registered as N781MA, a Boeing C-135FR Stratotanker completed in 1964 with manufacturer serial 63-12740. The airframe was built by Boeing Co and is recorded as owned by Wilmington Trust Co Trustee (corporation, Wilmington, DE), with U.S. civil registration US and classification as a fixed-wing multi-engine aircraft. No public operator roster or detailed historic registry actions beyond the recorded corporate trustee ownership have been published; condition and valuation specifics are not published for this individual airframe.

This airframe is configured in a tanker layout with a minimal cabin fit that provides 3 crew positions rather than a standard transport passenger interior; the cabin entry and internal arrangement are optimized for refuelling hardware and mission systems rather than comfort. Typical mission profiles for the C-135FR family emphasize long-range aerial refuelling and strategic support, exploiting this airframe’s published ferry or mission radius of 9,572 nm and operational cruise of 460 kts to sustain extended sorties. Avionics and mission-system specifics for this registered example are not published; maintenance considerations center on sustaining airworthiness of legacy Boeing high-time frames and their re-engined powerplants, particularly the installed CFM International F108 turbofans.

The Boeing C-135FR Stratotanker airframe occupies a niche as a long-range military-derived tanker/refueling platform with high-altitude capability to 50,000 ft and substantial endurance. In the marketplace this family competes functionally with other tanker conversions and dedicated aerial refuellers; buyer and operational demand tend to favor airframes with modernized engines and avionics. Resale and maintenance considerations for this specific airframe reflect its age (built 1964), corporate trustee ownership, and the presence of F108/CFM56-2 powerplants which influence overhaul cycles and parts sourcing.