The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is exactly the aircraft that delivers the weapons necessary for Ukraine by air. About the history, features, characteristics of the Boeing C-17 – in the material TSN.ua
Purpose and history of the Boeing C-17
The purpose of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is to transport military formations, cargo, primarily weapons around the world, landing troops, medical evacuation, etc. Development of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft manufactured by McDonnell Douglas began in the 1980s and early 1990s. The plane got its name in honor of two previous Globemaster military transport aircraft.
In 1980, the United States faced the problem of modernizing transport aircraft. In the event of an armed conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries, the existing military transport aircraft could not provide transatlantic transportation of troops and cargo from the United States to Western Europe.
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
Financial problems and technical reasons caused a delay in the release of the first sample of the aircraft, the characteristics and design of the aircraft changed. The first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft was produced in 1991, and serial production began in 1995. In 1994, the C-17A made the first transatlantic flight to the UK. For all the time, 279 units of aircraft were produced, the last copy of the aircraft took off in 2015. Today, countries such as the USA, Australia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Great Britain, India and Kuwait, NATO are armed with the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.
Features Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
Features of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III are dictated by its purpose.
- Significant carrying capacity – 77.5 tons. Although in the United States in this regard there is a more powerful C-5 Galaxy aircraft capable of carrying 118 tons.
- aircraft capacity. For the transportation of bulky weapons, equipment, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, the aircraft has a large cargo compartment. The length of the cargo compartment is 27 meters, the width is 5.5 m, the height is 3.76 m.
- The flight range of the aircraft is 4,480 km, and when refueled in the air, the aircraft is able to reach any point in the world.
- The run length is 1070 meters, which allows the aircraft to take off even from short runways and use unpaved airfields. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III can abruptly drop altitude before landing.
Evacuation of Boeing C-17 640 Afghans
Technical and flight characteristics of the Boeing C-17
- Crew – 3 people
- Cargo capacity – 77 519 kg
- Length – 53 m
- Wingspan – 51.74 m
- Height – 16.79 m
- Empty weight – 128140 kg
- Maximum takeoff weight – 265 352 kg
- Fuel weight – 102,614 liters.
- The volume of the cargo compartment is 592 m3.
- Power plant – 4 x turbofan engines 179.9 kN each
- Maximum speed – 1080 km / h
- Cruise speed – 830 km/h
- Flight range – 4,480 km (with a load of 71,214 kg)
- Distillation range – 11540 km
- Practical ceiling – 14 km
Boeing C-17 inside
Cost Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
The cost of the C-17, excluding parts and maintenance, for the United States is $200 million per unit. Depending on the configuration and service, the cost can be $ 316 million.
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