Other than removing the refuelling pods on the winftips, would I need to make any other changes to make a KC-135R out of this bird?
I don’t think you have to do anything to the kit to make it a USAF KC-135R, just the right paint and decals. Here is a picture of a KC-135R with basket refuelling pods, they aren’t the sames as the French pods. You could modify the kit pods to be like the ones in the picture. http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA—Air/Boeing-KC-135R-Stratotanker/1248533&photo_nr=21&prev_id=1248653&next_id=1245896&size=L
Thanks, Ty. I wouldn’t even need to modify the pods, since the acft I’d be modeling would be a 380th Wing bird in the Fall of 1993. My plan is to do the bird I was an Asst. Crew Chief on, in an inflight display refuelling a Vermont ANG F-16. On one of my last TDYs, we refuelled two of their birds on the way to Canon AFB for an airshow, and I was in the boom pod for the whole show, looking down on the perfect New England fall foliage. One of those great Air Force moments. 