B-204
- The B-204 is a human-made aircraft from the Marvel portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
The B-204 is the largest refueling plane on Earth, and its range and fuel capacity make it an invaluable resource to the United States Air Force.
Fiction
[edit]Marvel The Transformers comics
[edit]While on display at the MacDill Air Force Base, the B-204 was captured by the Decepticon Air Strike Patrol, who demanded that the humans provide the plane with a full load of fuel as well as a pilot. Back from the Dead In the end, it turned out they didn't really want the plane, it was just a ruse to attract the Autobots and keep them busy. The Resurrection Gambit!
Notes
[edit]- "B-" designated aircraft in the U.S. Air Force are, in real life, always bombers. Aerial refueling aircraft have the prefix 'K-' for their designations (usually as a supplement to another role, as most are converted cargo aircraft, i.e. [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}KC-135|{{#if:||KC-135}}]]).
- For a state-of-the art (circa 1988) design, the B-204 is a pretty bizarre-looking aircraft. It features the sort of conformal, frame-braced windscreen not seen on American aircraft since the Korean War. Its engines are likewise styled like those of post-World War II "first generation" jets, or highly-stylized airliner engine nacelles.
- In fact the B-204 looks a lot like the front end of a British [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Handley Page Victor|{{#if:||Handley Page Victor}}]] tanker (a converted bomber) grafted onto the wing, rear fuselage, and tail and a Soviet [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Il-78 Midas|{{#if:||Il-78 Midas}}]] tanker (a converted cargo jet)...
- Perhaps unsurprisingly, the jet behind the B-204 also looks like something from the early Cold War, bearing a resemblance to a [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}B-47 Stratojet|{{#if:||B-47 Stratojet}}]] bomber (if with fewer engines).