Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

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 forward 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 tactical and strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world; additional roles include medical evacuation and airdrop duties. It was designed to replace the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, and also fulfill some of the duties of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, freeing the C-5 fleet for outsize cargo.
Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, continued to manufacture C-17s for export customers following the end of deliveries to the U.S. Air Force. Aside from the United States, the C-17 is in service with the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, NATO Heavy Airlift Wing, India, and Kuwait. The final C-17 was completed at the Long Beach, California plant and flown on 29 November 2015.

Variants
C-17A: Initial military airlifter version.
C-17A "ER": Unofficial name for C-17As with extended range due to the addition of the center wing tank. This upgrade was incorporated in production beginning in 2001 with Block 13 aircraft.
C-17B: A proposed tactical airlifter version with double-slotted flaps, an additional main landing gear on the center fuselage, more powerful engines, and other systems for shorter landing and take-off distances. Boeing offered the C-17B to the U.S. military in 2007 for carrying the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) vehicles and other equipment.
MD-17: Proposed variant for civilian operators, later redesignated as BC-17 after 1997 merger.

Specifications (C-17)

General characteristics

• Crew: 3: 2 pilots, 1 loadmaster
• Capacity:
  
  • 102 paratroopers or
  • 134 troops with palletized and sidewall seats or
  • 54 troops with sidewall seats (allows 13 cargo pallets) only or
  • 36 litter and 54 ambulatory patients and medical attendants or
  • Cargo, such as one M1 Abrams tank, three Strykers, or six M1117 Armored Security Vehicles
• Payload: 170,900 lb (77,520 kg) of cargo distributed at max over 18 463L master pallets or a mix of palletized cargo and vehicles
• Length: 174 ft (53 m)
• Wingspan: 169.8 ft (51.75 m)
• Height: 55.1 ft (16.8 m)
• Wing area: 3,800 ft² (353 m²)
• Empty weight: 282,500 lb (128,100 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 585,000 lb (265,350 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 35,546 U.S. gal (134,556 L)
• Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofans, 40,440 lbf (180 kN) each

Performance

• Cruise speed: Mach 0.74 (450 knots, 515 mph (829 km/h))
• Range: 2,420 nmi (2,785 mi (4,482 km)) ; 5,610 nmi (10,390 km) with paratroopers
• Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,716 m)
• Max. wing loading: 150 lb/ft² (750 kg/m²)
• Minimum thrust/weight: 0.277
• Takeoff run at MTOW: 7,600 ft (2,300 m)
• Landing distance: 3,000 ft (910 m)