C-17
GLOBEMASTER III
Mission
The C-17 Globemaster III is the newest, most flexible
cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. The C-17 is capable of rapid
strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating
bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft
can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and can
also transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical
evacuations when required. The inherent flexibility and performance of
the C-17 force improve the ability of the total airlift system to
fulfill the worldwide air mobility requirements of the United States.
The ultimate measure of airlift effectiveness is
the ability to rapidly project and sustain an effective combat force
close to a potential battle area. Threats to U.S. interests have
changed in recent years, and the size and weight of U.S.-mechanized
firepower and equipment have grown in response to improved capabilities
of potential adversaries. This trend has significantly increased air
mobility requirements, particularly in the area of large or heavy
outsize cargo. As a result, newer and more flexible airlift aircraft
are needed to meet potential armed contingencies, peacekeeping or
humanitarian missions worldwide. The C-17 is capable of meeting today’s
demanding airlift missions.
Features
Reliability and maintainability are two outstanding
benefits of the C-17 system. Current operational requirements impose
demanding reliability and maintainability. These requirements include
an aircraft mission completion success probability rate of 92 percent,
only 20 aircraft maintenance man-hours per flying hour, and full and
partial mission availability rates of 74.7 and 82.5 percent,
respectively. The Boeing warranty assures these figures will be met.
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 169,000 pounds
(76,657 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 (.76 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 3,500 feet (1,064 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
August 2005, March Air Reserve Base, Calif., began basing the
first of eight aircraft. In February 2006, Hickam AFB, Hawaii,
received its first C-17.
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 two C-17s at Edwards AFB, Calif.; Pacific Air
Forces operates two aircraft at Hickam AFB, Hawaii (Associate Guard);
Air Force Reserve Command operates eight aircraft at March Air Reserve
Base, Calif; and Air Education and Training Command operates eight
aircraft at Altus AFB, Okla.
General Characteristics
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 .76)
Service Ceiling: 45,000 feet at
cruising speed (13,716 meters)
Range: Global with in-flight
refueling
Crew: Three (two pilots and one
loadmaster)
Aeromedical Evacuation Crew: A
basic crew of five (two flight nurses and three medical technicians) is
added for aeromedical evacuation missions. Medical crew may be
altered as required by the needs of patients
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, 134;
Air National Guard, 8; Air Force Reserve, 8
Point of Contact
Air Mobility
Command, Public Affairs Office; 503 Ward Drive Ste 214, Scott AFB,
IL 62225-5335, DSN 779-7843 or (618) 229-7843.
May 2006
|
|
