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 company later merged with Boeing.
In addition to the U.S. Air Force, the C-17 is operated by
the United Kingdom, Australia ,Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and NATO Heavy Airlift Wing. Additionally, India has
ordered C-17s.
A
high-wing, 4-engine, T-tailed military-transport aircraft, the multi-service
C-17 can carry large equipment, supplies and troops directly to small airfields
in harsh terrain anywhere in the world day or night. The massive, sturdy,
long-haul aircraft tackles distance, destination and heavy, oversized payloads
in unpredictable conditions. It has delivered cargo in every worldwide
operation since the 1990s.
CAPABILITIES
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.
DESIGN
 |
| F117-PW-100turbofan engine |
The C-17 is 174 feet (53 m) long and has a wingspan of
about 170 feet (52 m). It can airlift cargo fairly close to a battle area.
The C-17 is powered by four Pratt & Whitney
F117-PW-100turbofan engines, which are based on the commercial Pratt and Whitney
PW2040 used on the Boeing
757. Each engine is fully
reversible and rated at 40,400 lbf (180 kN) of thrust. The thrust
reversers direct engine exhaust air upwards and forward,
reducing the chances of foreign object damage by ingestion of runway debris, and providing
enough reverse thrust to back the aircraft up on the ground while taxiing.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
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)
|
.jpg){kind=spacer}
