The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is designed to fulfill military airlift needs well into the 21st century. A high-wing, four-engine, T-tailed aircraft with a rear-loading ramp, the C-17 can carry large combat equipment and troops or humanitarian aid across international distances directly to small austere airfields anywhere in the world.
In August 2002, the U.S. Air Force extended its total C-17 order to 180, by committing to an additional 60 C-17s. This order means Boeing will design, build and deliver C-17s through at least 2008. By early November 2004, 126 C-17s had been delivered to the U.S. Air Force. Four additional C-17s are on lease to the United Kingdom Royal Air Force.
A Leader in Worldwide Airlift
The U.S. Air Force declared the first C-17 squadron operational in Jan uary 1995. Since then, the fleet has amassed approximately 750,000 flying hours. C-17s have been involved in numerous contingency operations, including flying troops and equipment to Operation Joint Endeavor to support peacekeeping in Bosnia , Allied Force Operation in Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In Afghanistan , C-17s have flown more than 230 humanitarian missions, airdropping more than 2.4 million ration packages to refugees as well as landing bulk foods and blankets. C-17s fly daily missions carrying troops, supplies and heavy equipment into austere fields in Afghanistan and into airfields in neighboring countries. In 1998 and again in 2000, eight C-17s completed the longest paratrooper airdrop missions in history, flying more than 8,000 nautical miles from the United States to Central Asia , dropping troops and equipment after more than 19 hours in the air.
Aircraft Technical Description
A cockpit crew of two and one loadmaster operates the C-17, which can be refueled in flight. This cost-effective flight crew complement is made possible through the use of an advanced digital avionics system and advanced cargo systems. In the cargo compartment the C-17 can carry Army wheeled vehicles in two side-by-side rows. Three Bradley infantry-fighting vehicles comprise one deployment load. Similarly, the Army's newest main battle tank, the M-1, can be carried.
The four engines are Pratt & Whitney PW2040 series turbofans, designated as F117-PW-100 by the Air Force, each producing 40,440 pounds of thrust. The engines are equipped with directed-flow thrust reversers capable of deployment in flight. On the ground, a fully loaded aircraft, using engine reversers, can back up a two-percent slope.
With a payload of 160,000 pounds, the C-17 can take off from a 7,600-foot airfield, fly 2,400 nautical miles, and land on a small, austere airfield in 3,000 feet or less. The C-17 is equipped with an externally blown flap system that allows a steep, low-speed final approach and low-landing speeds for routine short-field landings.
A Legacy of Quality and Excellence
C-17s have set 33 world records ?more than any other airlifter in history ?including payload to altitude, time-to-climb, and short-takeoff-and-landing marks in which the C-17 took off in less than 1,400 feet, carried a payload of 44,000 pounds to altitude, and landed in less than 1,400 feet. These records were set during flight-testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. , in 2001.
In 1995, the C-17 received the prestigious Collier Trophy, symbolizing the top aeronautical achievement of the previous year. In 1999, President Bill Clinton presented the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award to Boeing Airlift and Tanker Programs, maker of the C-17, for business excellence; Boeing is again a finalist for the Baldrige award and will learn in late November 2004 if it becomes a rare double winner of this award. In 2002, the C-17's assembly facility in Long Beach , Calif. , was recognized by Industry Week's Best Plants award, for being one of the top 10 in the North America . In September 2004, the C-17's Macon , Ga. , facility was similarly recognized by Industry Week as one of North America 's top 10 manufacturing plants. In December 2002, the C-17 Program ?and its Aerospace Support unit ?won the U.S. Senate's Productivity Award for Performance Excellence. And, in April 2003, the C-17 Program won the first ever 揃est of the Best?California Governor's Award for Performance Excellence.
C-17s are based at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.; McChord Air Force Base, Wash. ; the Air National Guard Base at Jackson, Miss.; McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., which has received the first two of its 13 scheduled C-17s; and Altus Air Force Base, Okla., where initial aircrew training occurs. Assembly on the first of eight C-17s for March Air Reserve Base, Calif. , is now underway at the Boeing Long Beach, Calif., facility. March's first C-17 will be delivered in August 2005. Additional domestic basing locations will be announced by the Air Force in the near future.
The C-17 measures 174 feet long (53 meters) with a wingspan of 169 feet, 10 inches (51.75 meters). The aircraft is powered by four, fully reversible, Federal Aviation Administration-certified F117-PW-100 engines (the military designation for the commercial Pratt & Whitney PW2040), currently used on the Boeing 757. Each engine is rated at 40,440 pounds of thrust. The thrust reversers direct the flow of air upward and forward to avoid ingestion of dust and debris. Maximum use has been made of off-the-shelf and commercial equipment, including Air Force-standardized avionics.
The aircraft is operated by a crew of three (pilot, copilot and loadmaster), reducing manpower requirements, risk exposure and long-term operating costs. Cargo is loaded onto the C-17 through a large aft door that accommodates military vehicles and palletized cargo. The C-17 can carry virtually all of the Army's air-transportable equipment.
Maximum payload capacity of the C-17 is 170,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms), and its maximum gross takeoff weight is 585,000 pounds (265,352 kilograms). With a payload of 160,000 pounds (72,575 kilograms) and an initial cruise altitude of 28,000 feet (8,534 meters), , the C-17 has an unrefueled range of approximately 2,400 nautical miles. Its cruise speed is approximately 450 knots (.74 Mach). The C-17 is designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers and equipment.
The design of the aircraft allows it to operate through small, austere airfields. The C-17 can take off and land on runways as short as 3,000 feet (914 meters) and only 90 feet wide (27.4 meters). Even on such narrow runways, the C-17 can turn around using a three-point star turn and its backing capability.
Background
The C-17 made its maiden flight on Sept. 15, 1991, and the first production model was delivered to Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., June 14, 1993. The first squadron of C-17s, the 17th Airlift Squadron, was declared operationally ready Jan. 17, 1995. The Air Force originally programmed to buy a total of 120 C-17s, with the last one being delivered in November 2004. Current budget plans involve purchasing 180 aircraft. The original 120 C-17s were based at Charleston AFB; McChord AFB, Wash., (first aircraft arrived in July 1999); Altus AFB, Okla.; and at an Air National Guard unit in Jackson, Miss. In September 2004, McGuire AFB, N.J. began basing the first of 13 aircraft expected by June 2005.
The C-17 is operated by the Air Mobility Command at the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.; the 62nd Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash; the 305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.; the 315th Airlift Wing (Associate Reserve), Charleston AFB, S.C.; and, the 446th Airlift Wing (Associate Reserve), McChord AFB, Wash; and the 172nd Airlift Wing, Mississippi ANG. Additionally, Air Force Materiel Command operates one C-17 at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; and Air Education and Training Command operates eight aircraft at Altus AFB, Okla.
In 1995, the C-17 received the prestigious Collier Trophy, symbolizing the top aeronautical achievement of the previous year. In 1999, President Bill Clinton presented the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award to Boeing Airlift and Tanker Programs, maker of the C-17, for business excellence; Boeing is again a finalist for the Baldrige award and will learn in late November 2004 if it becomes a rare double winner of this award. In 2002, the C-17's assembly facility in Long Beach , Calif. , was recognized by Industry Week's Best Plants award, for being one of the top 10 in the North America . In September 2004, the C-17's Macon , Ga. , facility was similarly recognized by Industry Week as one of North America 's top 10 manufacturing plants. In December 2002, the C-17 Program ¨C and its Aerospace Support unit ¨C won the U.S. Senate's Productivity Award for Performance Excellence. And, in April 2003, the C-17 Program won the first ever ¡°Best of the Best¡± California Governor's Award for Performance Excellence.In August 2002, the U.S. Air Force extended its total C-17 order to 180, by committing to an additional 60 C-17s. This order means Boeing will design, build and deliver C-17s through at least 2008. By early November 2004, 126 C-17s had been delivered to the U.S. Air Force. Four additional C-17s are on lease to the United Kingdom Royal Air Force.
In Afghanistan , C-17s have flown more than 230 humanitarian missions, airdropping more than 2.4 million ration packages to refugees as well as landing bulk foods and blankets. C-17s fly daily missions carrying troops, supplies and heavy equipment into austere fields in Afghanistan and into airfields in neighboring countries. In 1998 and again in 2000, eight C-17s completed the longest paratrooper airdrop missions in history, flying more than 8,000 nautical miles from the United States to Central Asia , dropping troops and equipment after more than 19 hours in the air.
Primary Function: Cargo and troop transport
Prime Contractor: Boeing Company
Power Plant: Four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines
Thrust: 40,440 pounds, each engine
Wingspan: 169 feet 10 inches (to winglet tips) (51.75 meters)
Length: 174 feet (53 meters)
Height: 55 feet 1 inch (16.79 meters)
Cargo Compartment: length, 88 feet (26.82 meters); width, 18 feet (5.48 meters); height, 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 meters)
Speed: 450 knots at 28,000 feet (8,534 meters) (Mach .74)
Service Ceiling: 45,000 feet at cruising speed (13,716 meters)
Range: Global with in-flight refueling
Crew: Three (two pilots and one loadmaster)
Maximum Peacetime Takeoff Weight: 585,000 pounds (265,352 kilograms)
Load: 102 troops/paratroops; 36 litter and 54 ambulatory patients and attendants; 170,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms) of cargo (18 pallet positions)
Unit Cost: Unit Cost: $202.3 million (FY98 constant dollars)
Date Deployed: June 1993
Inventory: Active duty, 118; Air National Guard, 8; Air Force Reserve, 0