Aircraft of the Berlin Airlift: The Tankers
During the Soviet Blockade of Berlin, the city needed tens of thousands of gallons of petrol, kerosene and heating oil to survive. Transporting liquid fuels in conventional cargo aircraft, however, was extremely hazardous and inefficient, and specially designed tankers were required. Unfortunately, neither the USAF nor the RAF possessed such aircraft. In consequence, the RAF turned to civilian charter companies to fill the gap and these assumed full responsibility for liquid fuel deliveries. By the end of the airlift they had delivered 92,345 tonnes of fuel . Two aircraft carried the lion's share of those deliveries: the Tudor (left) and the Lancastrian (right). The Tudor: The first tanker aircra ft d eployed on the Berlin Airlift were Tudors operated by Airflight, a company founded by the former C-in-C of the RAF's Pathfinder force. Air Vice Marshal Donald Bennett. After the war, Bennett had taken a position as ...