Civil | Military | Helicopters | History | Spaceflight

Boeing C-17A Globemaster III

Type
Military transport aircraft (Militärtransporter)

Country (Land)
USA

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
2401 East Wardlow Road
Long Beach, California 90807-5309
USA

Phone: 001-562/496-8515
Fax: 001-562/496-5106
Internet: www.boeing.com

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2 on the flight deck plus loadmaster
Passengers (Passagiere): 100 on seat pallets plus 54 along the walls or 48 litters
Cargo: The C-17 can carry outsize loads up to the M1 main battle tank, helicopters, lorries etc. as well as containers and cargo palettes. High- and low-altitude airdrops are possible. Typical loads include:

two helicopters and support equipment
one main battle tank plus support vehicles and personnel
two armoured vehicles plus personnel
one CH-47 Chinook plus support equipment and personnel
13 Landrover vehicles plus 54 personnel
MRLS launcher
two special forces boats on trailers

Power plant (Antrieb): 4 x Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofans
Power (Leistung): 4 x 179,9 kN (40440 lbs)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 53,04 m
Height (Höhe): 16,79 m
Span (Spannweite): 51,74 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 353 sq m
Fuselage diameter (Rumpfdurchmesser): 6,86 m
Wheel track (Spurweite): 10,26 m
Wheelbase (Radstand): 20,05 m

Cargo compartment height (Frachtraumhöhe): 4,50 m maximum, 3,76 m under wing carry-through
Width at floor (Breite): 5,49 m
Cargo compartment length (Frachtraumlänge): 26,82 m including ramp (6,05 m)
Cargo compartment volume (Frachtraumvolumen): 591,8 cu m

Weights (Massen)
Operating weight empty (Leermasse): 125645 kg, or 127685 kg from aircraft 71 with additional fuel tanks
Max. payload (Nutzlast): 77293 kg at 2,5 g load factor
Typical payload (typische Nutzlast für Logistikmission): 68039 kg
Fuel (Kraftstoff): 102530 litres. From aircraft 71 onwards, another 36340 litres can be carried
Max. ramp weight (max. Rollmasse): 265800 kg
Max. take-off weight (max. Startmasse): 265350 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Normal cruise speed (Reisegeschwindigkeit): Mach 0.74 to Mach 0.77
Max. cruise at low altitude (max. Reisegeschwindigkeit in niedriger Höhe): 650 km/h
Airdrop speed (Geschw. beim Absetzen von Fallschirmspringern): 210 – 460 km/h
Approach speed (Anfluggeschwindigkeit): 213 km/h with full load
Service ceiling (Dienstgipfelhöhe): 13715 m (45000 ft)
Required field length (Startstrecke): 2360 m at max. take-off weight
Landing field length (Landestrecke): 915 m with thrust-reversal (mit Schubumkehr)
Range (Reichweite):
   - 4445 km with 72575 kg at load factor of 2,25 g
   - 5185 km with 68040 kg at load factor of 2,25 g
   - 5278 km with 54421 kg at load factor of 2,5 g
   - 7630 km with 36290 kg
   - 8150 km with 18145 kg
   - 8705 km with no payload (ferry flight)
   - 9815 km with 18145 kg, newer aircraft with more tanks
   - 11575 km with no payload (ferry flight), newer aircraft with more tanks

Customers (Kunden)
The Boeing C-17A is in service with the following air forces:

US Air Force: 180 on order for delivery up to 2008. Operational deployment is as follows:
- Altus AFB (Oklahoma)
   97th Air Mobility Wing, a training unit
   58thAirlift Squadron, reactivated in January 1996
- Charleston AFB (South Carolina)
   315th Airlift Wing (Air Force Reserve)
   300th Airlift Squadron
   317th Airlift Squadron
   701st Airlift Squadron
   437th Airlift Wing
   14th Airlift Squadron
   15th Airlift Squadron
   16th Airlift Squadron, reactivated on 26 July 2002
   17th Airlift Squadron, was the first C-17A squadron
- Jackson (Mississippi)
   172nd Airlift Wing, Air National Guard. To get aircraft from 2004.
- McChord AFB (Washington)
   62nd Airlift Wing
   4th Airlift Squadron
   7th Airlift Squadron
   8th Airlift Squadron
   10th Airlift Squadron, to be activated in 2003
   446th Airlift Wing (Air Force Reserve Command)
   97th Airlift Squadron
   313th Airlift Squadron
   728th Airlift Squadron
Royal Air Force: 4 leased. These are operated by 99 Squadron at Brize Norton.

Production rate is around 15 per year.

Cost (Preis)
The US Air Force cites a unit cost of 236,7 million US-Dollars (FY98 constant).
The USAF contract for 60 additional C-17s, signed in August 2002, was valued at 9,7 billion US-Dollars (that is 161 million US-Dollars per aircraft).
The USAF contract for 80 aircraft over seven years, signed in May 1996, was valued at 16,2 billion US-Dollars (that is 202,5 million US-Dollars per aircraft, but does not include some government furnished equipment).

Competition (Konkurrenz)
None in this weight class, but procurement discussions often centre around a fleet mix of C-17s with smaller transports like the C-130J Hercules, Airbus A400M (FLA) or Antonov An-70.

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The C-17 is intended as a replacement for the Lockheed C-141 Starlifters of the US Air Force.
The programme has a long and convoluted history, beginning with the selection of McDonnell Douglas as the winner of the C-X cargo aircraft competition on 28 August 1981. Money shortages slowed down early progress considerably, and it was not until 15. September 1991 that the first C-17 took-off for its maiden flight from Long Beach airport in California, with direct delivery to Edwards AFB. The initial production aircraft followed on 18 May 1992. Also, two static test airframes were built, beginning their test programmes in November 1991 and the second quarter of 1992 respectively.
Development flight testing was completed in December 1994, by which time some 16 aircraft were already delivered. Initial operational capability was achieved on 17 January 1995 by the 17th Airlift Squadron at Charleston AFB in North Carolina.
Original requirement by the US Air Force was 210 aircraft, but this was cut to 120 in 1991, mainly due to budget restrictions.
A multiyear procurement contract for 80 aircraft was signed in May 1996, worth 14,2 billion US-Dollars (plus 1,6 billion for the engines). This assured production until 2004.
In 1997, the Royal Air Force began its search for a strategic airlifter. After a competition, the C-17 was announced as the winner in May 2000. Four aircraft are leased for seven years, with two one-year extension periods possible. The first C-17 for the RAF was accepted on 17 May 2001, with the last being handed over in August of the same year.
The 50th Globemaster III was handed over to the US Air Force on 21 May 1999.
In April 1999, Boeing made an unsolicited offer to the USAF for another 60 aircraft to be delivered in a multi-year buy from 2003 to 2007. Spectacular cost cuts to just 149 million US-Dollars apiece would be possible, thanks to investment in production efficiencies, the company claimed. Discussions dragged on for over three years before a contract was singed on 15 August 2002 at a price of 9,7 billion US-Dollars.
Since the mid-90s, a civil variant of the C-17 is also explored, under the MD-17 and BC-17X designations. This would have specific military equipment like ECM and paratroop doors removed and be able to carry 77100 kg over a 4600 km range. First delivery could be two years after programme launch, but up to now no cargo airline seems prepared to invest in this very expensive aircraft.

Civil | Military | Helicopters | History | Spaceflight

Last updated 13 February 2003

FLUG REVUE, Ubierstr. 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany