Patent ID: 7458543

Claim:
An aircraft aerial refueling system, comprising: first and second auxiliary fuel tanks each operating to store a fuel; a main fuel tank; a refueling connection remotely located from the first and second auxiliary fuel tanks and the main fuel tank; at least two fuel pumps operating to transfer the fuel from one of the first and second auxiliary fuel tanks to the other of the auxiliary fuel tanks and from either of the first and second auxiliary fuel tanks to the main fuel tank and to a remotely located refueling connection; at least one electrically controlled valve operating to control flow of the fuel flow between the auxiliary fuel tanks and the refueling connection, the at least two fuel pumps of the first and second auxiliary fuel tanks operating using the at least one electrically controlled valve to discharge directly to a refueling manifold connected to the refueling connection without transfer of the fuel from the first and second auxiliary fuel tanks into the main fuel tank; and a computer system operating to automatically vary operation of the at least two fuel pumps and to control the electrically controlled valve between one of an open and a closed position during transfer of the fuel to the refueling connection, the computer system operating to totally automatically control the aircraft aerial refueling system to direct flow only between one of the first and second auxiliary fuel tanks and the refueling connection without fuel transfer through the main fuel tank.