Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

-PRATIBHA MISHRA

Status:-In service
Primary users:-United States Air Force
              -Royal Air Force
              -Royal Australian Air Force
              -Royal Canadian Air Force
Produced:-1991 to present
Number built:-250 as of December 2012
Unit cost:-US$218 million (flyaway cost for FY2007)
Developed from-McDonnell Douglas YC-15

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. It was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries the name of two previous piston-engined military cargo aircraft,the Douglas C-74 Globemaster and the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. The C-17 commonly performs strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world; additional roles include tactical airlift, medical evacuation and air drop duties.

PURPOSE:-
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is designed to fulfill military and humanitarian airlift
needs well into the 21st century. A high-wing, four-engine, T-tailed aircraft with a rearloading 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.
With a payload of 164,900 pounds, the C-17 can take off from a 7,000-foot airfield, fly
2,400 nautical miles, and land on a small, austere airfield of 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.

DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN PHASE:-
In the 1970s, the U.S. Air Force began looking for a replacement for its Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical cargo aircraft.The Advanced Medium STOL Transport (AMST) competition was held, with Boeing proposing the YC-14, and McDonnell Douglas proposing the YC-15. Though both entrants exceeded specified requirements, the AMST competition was canceled before a winner was selected. The Air Force started the C-X program in November 1979 to develop a larger AMST with longer range to augment its strategic airlift.

The McDonnell Douglas YC-15 design was used as the basis for the C-17.
By 1980, the USAF found itself with a large fleet of aging C-141 Starlifter cargo aircraft. Compounding matters, USAF needed increased strategic airlift capabilities to fulfill its rapid-deployment airlift requirements. The USAF set mission requirements and released a request for proposals (RFP) for C-X in October 1980. McDonnell Douglas elected to develop a new aircraft based on the YC-15;Boeing bid an enlarged three-engine version of its AMST YC-14. Lockheed submitted two designs, a C-5-based design and an enlarged C-141 design. On 28 August 1981, McDonnell Douglas was chosen to build its proposed aircraft, then designated C-17. Compared to the YC-15, the new aircraft differed in having swept wings, increased size, and more powerful engines.This would allow it to perform the work done by the C-141, and also fulfill some of the duties of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, freeing the C-5 fleet for outsize cargo.

Alternate proposals were pursued to fill airlift needs after the C-X contest. These were lengthening of C-141As into C-141Bs, ordering more C-5s, continued purchases of KC-10s, and expansion of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. Limited budgets reduced program funding, requiring a delay of four years. During this time contracts were awarded for preliminary design work and for the completion of engine certification.In December 1985, a full-scale development contract was awarded.At this time, first flight was planned for 1990.The Air Force had formed a requirement for 210 aircraft.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION:-

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The C-17 Globemaster III is a high-wing, four-engine, T-tailed military transport.

EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS:
Wingspan to winglet tip-169.8 feet (51.74 m)
Length-174 feet (53.04 m)
Height at tail-55.1 feet (16.79 m)
Fuselage diameter-22.5 feet (6.86 m)

ENGINES:
Four Pratt & Whitney PW2040 (military designation F117-PW-100) 40,440 pounds thrust each.

CARGO COMPARTMENT:
Cargo compartment crew-One loadmaster
Cargo floor length-68.2 feet (20.78 m)
Ramp length-21.4 feet (6.52 m) structural length
Loadable width-18 feet (5.49 m)
Loadable height (under wing)-12.3 feet (3.76m)
Loadable height (aft of wing)-14.8 feet (4.50m)
Ramp to ground angle-9 degrees
Ramp capacity-40,000 lbs. (18,144 kg)
Aerial delivery system capacity:

Pallets-Eleven 463L pallets (including 2 on ramp)
Single load airdrop-60,000 pound platform (27,216 kg)
Sequential loads airdrop-110,000 pounds (49,895 kg)
(60 feet of platforms) (18.29 m)
Logistic rail system capacity-Eighteen 463L pallets (including 4 on ramp)
Dual-row airdrop system-Up to eight 18 foot platforms or 12 463L pallets
Combat offload-All pallets from ADS or logistic rail systems

SEATING:
Sidewall (permanently installed)-54 (27 each side, 18 inches wide, 24 inch spacing center to center)
Centerline (stored on board)-48 (in sets of six back-to-back, 8 sets)
Palletized (10-passenger pallets)-80 on 8 pallets, plus 54 passengers on sidewall seats

AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION:
Litter stations (onboard)-Three (3 litters each)
Litter stations (additional kit)-Nine
Total capability (contingency)-36 litters and 54 ambulatory

COCKPIT
Flight crew-2 pilots
Observer positions-2
Instrument displays-2 full-time all-function head-up displays (HUD),
                   -4 multi-function active matrix liquid crystal displays
Navigation system-Digital electronics
Communication-Integrated radio management system with communications system open architecture (COSA)
Flight controls system-Quadruple-redundant electronic flight control with mechanical backup system

WING:
Area-3,800 sq. ft. (353.03 sq. m)
Aspect Radio-7.165
Wing sweep angle-25 degrees
Airfoil type-Supercritical
Flaps-Fixed-vane, double-slotted, simple-hinged

WINGLET:
Height-8.92 feet (2.72 m)
Span-9.21 feet (2.81 m)
Area-35.85 sq. ft. (3.33 m)
Sweep-30 degrees
Angle-15 degrees from vertical

HORIZONTAL TAIL:
Area-845 sq. ft. (78.50 sq. m)
Span-65 feet (19.81 m)
Aspect ratio-5.0
Sweep-27 degrees

LANDING GEAR:
Main type-Triple Tandem
Width (outside to outside)-33.7 feet (10.26 m)
Tires-50x21-20
Nose type-Single strut, steerable with dual wheels
Tires-40 x 16 - 14
Wheelbase-65.8 feet (20.06 m)


FUNCTIONALITY:-
The C-17's ability to fly long distances and land in remote airfields in rough, land-locked regions make it a premier transporter for military, humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. It can:

-Take off from a 7,600-ft. airfield, carry a payload of 160,000 pounds, fly 2,400 nautical miles, refuel while in flight and  land in 3,000 ft. or less on a small unpaved or paved airfield in day or night.
-Carry a cargo of wheeled U.S. Army vehicles in two side-by-side rows, including the U.S. Army's main battle tank, the M-1. Three Bradley infantry-fighting vehicles comprise one load.
-Drop a single 60,000-lb. payload, with sequential load drops of 110,000 lb.
-Back up a two-percent slope.
-Seat 54 on the sidewall and 48 in the centerline.


CUSTOMERS:
Worldwide, Boeing has delivered 244 C-17s as of June 2012. Boeing’s program of record
with the U.S. Air Force is to design, build and deliver 224 C-17s. Boeing will deliver C-
17s to India and other international countries in 2013 and 2014. To date, Boeing has
delivered 216 C-17s to the U.S. Air Force. There are also 28 C-17s in service with six
international customers.
The United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence received its sixth C-17 in June
2012. In May 2012, the United Kingdom Royal Air Force received an additional C-17,
bringing the Royal Air Force fleet to eight. In March 2012, Australia’s Ministry of Defence
signed a Letter of Acceptance with the U.S. government to procure a sixth C-17. In June
2011, India’s Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the U.S. government to
acquire 10 C-17s that will be delivered in 2013 and 2014. The RAAF has five; the Royal
Canadian Air Force has four C-17s. The 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability consortium
of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations received three C-17s in 2009. Qatar, the first
Middle East customer to order C-17s, received two C-17s in 2009 and holds options for
two more.


DEPLOYMENT:
216 Aircraft at 12 bases (USAF)
8 Aircraft at RAF Brize Norton (UK)
5 Aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley (Australia)
4 Aircraft at RCAF Trenton (Canada)
3 Strategic Airlift Capability Aircraft at Pápa AB (Hungary)
2 Aircraft at Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar)
6 Aircraft at Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)


MISCELLANEOUS:
U.S. Air Force C-17s are based at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.; Joint Base LewisMcChord, Wash.; the Air National Guard Base at Jackson, Miss.; McGuire Air Force
Base, N.J.; March Air Reserve Base, Calif.; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii;
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Altus Air Force Base, Okla., Dover Air Force
Base, Del.; Travis Air Force Base, Calif.; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and
Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y. The RAF C-17s are based at Brize Norton in the
United Kingdom. The Royal Australian Air Force C-17 unit is based at Amberley, in
Queensland, Australia. Canadian C-17s are based at Royal Canadian Air Force Base,
Trenton, Ontario. The 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability C-17 fleet is based at Pápa Air
Base, Hungary. Qatar’s C-17s are assigned to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The United Arab
Emirates’ C-17s are stationed at Abu Dhabi.

Regards,

Pratibha Mishra [B.Tech ] 

Web Developer / Blog Master 

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