C-141B Starlifter
Mission
The
C-141B Starlifter is the "workhorse" of the Air
Mobility Command. The Starlifter fulfills the vast spectrum of
airlift requirements through its ability to airlift combat
forces over long distances, deliver those forces and their
equipment either by air, land or airdrop, resupply forces and
transport the sick and wounded from the hostile area to advanced
medical facilities.
Features
The
C-141B is a "stretched" C-141A with in-flight
refueling capability. The stretching of the Starlifter consisted
of lengthening the planes 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 meters). The
added length increased the C-141 cargo capacity by about
one-third, for an extra 2,171 cubic feet (62.03 cubic meters).
The lengthening of the aircraft had the same overall effect as
increasing the number of aircraft by 30 percent. The C-141A,
built between 1963 and 1967, was AMC's first jet aircraft
designed to meet military standards as a troop and cargo
carrier. The development of the B model was the most
cost-effective method of increasing AMC's airlift capability.
A
universal air refueling receptacle on the C-141B, with the
ability to transfer 23,592 gallons(89,649.6 liters) in about 26
minutes, means longer non-stop flights and fewer fuel stops at
overseas bases during worldwide airlift missions.
The
C-141 force, nearing nine million flying hours, has a proven
reliability and long-range capability. In addition to training,
worldwide airlift and combat support, the C-141 has amassed a
laudatory record in response to humanitarian crises.
The
C-141, with its changeable cargo compartment, can transition
from rollers on the floor for palletized cargo to a smooth floor
for wheeled vehicles to aft facing seats or sidewall canvas
seats for passengers, quickly and easily, to handle over 30
different missions.
Background
C-141s
are stationed at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.; McChord AFB,
Wash.; McGuire AFB, N.J.; and Travis AFB, Calif. AMC began
transferring C-141s to the Air Reserve and Air National Guard
forces in July 1986. The first Air Reserve unit was Andrews AFB,
Md., followed by others now at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and
March Air Reserve Base, Calif.; and Air National Guard units at
Jackson, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn.
The
first C-141A, delivered to Tinker AFB, Okla., in October 1964,
began squadron operations in April 1965. The C-141 was the first
jet transport from which U.S. Army paratroopers jumped, and the
first to land in the Antarctic. The first C-141B was received by
the Air Force in December 1979. Conversion from A to B models
was completed in 1982.
The
C-141 continues to be the backbone of military airlift
capability and the cornerstone of a valuable national asset --
airlift. The C-141's reliability and intrinsic capabilities
enable AMC to meet any commitment anywhere national interest
dictates.
General
Characteristics
Primary
Function: Cargo and troop transport
Contractor: Lockheed-Georgia Co.
Power Plant: Four Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-7 turbofan
engines
Thrust: 20,250 pounds, each engine
Wingspan: 160 feet (48.7 meters)
Length: 168 feet, 4 inches (51 meters)
Height: 39 feet, 3 inches (11.9 meters)
Cargo Compartment: Height, 9 feet 1 inch (2.77 meters); length,
93 feet 4 inches (28.45 meters); width, 10 feet 3
inches (3.12 meters)
Cargo Door: width, 10.25 feet (3.12 meters); height, 9.08
feet (2.76 meters)
Speed: 500 mph (Mach 0.74) at 25,000 feet
Ceiling: 41,000 feet (12,496 meters) at cruising speed
Range: Unlimited with in-flight refueling
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 323,100 lbs (146,863 kilograms)
Load: Either 200 troops, 155 paratroops, 103 litters and
14 seats, or 68,725 lbs (31,239 kilograms) of cargo
Unit Cost: $42.3 million (FY98 constant dollars)
Crew: Five or six: two pilots, two flight engineers and
one loadmaster and one navigator (added for airdrops).
Aeromedical teams of two flight nurses and three medical
technicians each are added for aeromedical evacuation missions.
Date Deployed: C-141A: October 1964; C-141B: December
1979.
Inventory: Active duty, 74; Air National Guard, 28; Air
Force Reserve, 68
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