LONG BEACH, California Boeing delivered the 223rd and last U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III airlifter on 12 Sept, fulfilling the produc...
Boeing delivered the 223rd and last U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III airlifter on 12 Sept, fulfilling the production contract more than 20 years after the first delivery.
The aircraft left Boeing’s Long Beach facility to fly to its assignment at Joint Base Charleston, South.Carolina, where a ceremony marked its arrival.
The US Air Force was the C-17's launch customer.
A ceremony was held on stage with the C-17 P-223 in the backdrop for all to see, while Air Force leaders thanked the Boeing employees, who worked on the U.S. Air Force C-17's for the past 20 years, for all their hard work.
As the C-17 took off and Lt. Gen. James Jackson, Air Force Reserve Command commander, performed a fly-over Boeing, employees could be seen waving American Flags in the air cheering the Air Force on.
"I had never flown a C-17 before, but after going through the simulators and getting hands on instructions from experienced C-17 pilots I felt confident taking off and flying the Globemaster high into the sky," said Jackson.
Jackson is a former F-4 Phantom and F-16 Falcon fighter pilot as well as a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot.
The crew on board the C-17 was handpicked and included a general officer, pilot, loadmaster and crew chief from active-duty, reserve and guard components.
Since the aircraft's first flight Sept. 15, 1991, it has been the world's only strategic airlifter with tactical capabilities that allow it to fly between continents, land on short, austere runways, and airdrop supplies precisely where they are needed.
The first squadron of C-17s, the 17th Airlift Squadron, was declared operationally ready Jan. 17, 1995. The Air Force originally programmed to buy 120 C-17s.Current budget plans increased the total number to 223 aircraft.
"Thank you for delivering to our nation combat airlift – that is the definition of the C-17 – the most versatile, most capable, most ready airlifter ever built," said U.S. Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, commander, Air Mobility Command. "What you have done with this aircraft speaks volumes about your character."
Boeing continues to produce C-17s for other customers around the world, and maintain and sustain the aircraft through the C-17 Globemaster Integrated Sustainment Program.
C-17s have been involved in contingency operations of all types, including flying troops and equipment to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The airlifter also has been used in humanitarian missions around the world, including the Japanese and Indian Ocean tsunamis of 2011 and 2004, respectively; Hurricane Katrina in 2005; and the Haitian earthquake of 2010.
"C-17s are the workhorse for the U.S. Air Force in wartime and in peace," said Chris Chadwick, Boeing Military Aircraft president. "So while this is the last new C-17 to be added to the Air Force fleet, the mission does not stop here. The C-17 delivers hope and saves lives, and with the Air Force in the pilot's seat, it will continue to do so well into the future."
The C-17 holds 33 world records – more than any other airlifter in history – including payload-to-altitude, time-to-climb and short-takeoff-and-landing marks. It has exceeded 2.6 million flight hours, playing an integral role in global strategic airlift.
The National Aeronautics Association in 1994 awarded the C-17 its Collier Trophy, recognizing the aircraft as the top aeronautical achievement of that year.
"C-17 is the product of our dedicated workforce and more than 20 years of teamwork with our suppliers and the U.S. Air Force," said Nan Bouchard, Boeing vice president and C-17 program manager. "Every employee here is proud to build this amazing aircraft. We are continuing the legacy by building C-17s for our partner nations, and we will continue to work with the U.S. Air Force to ensure their aircraft deliver top performance into the future."
In addition to the 223 C-17s delivered to the U.S. Air Force, 34 are operated by Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations.
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.
The aircraft is operated by a crew of three (pilot, co-pilot 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 (.74 Mach). The C-17 is designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers and equipment.
