Aircraft Profile: Boeing C-17 Globemaster

Still reeling from the disaster of Operation Eagle Claw, the US Air Force in 1980 started asking for a new tactical airlifter that could be refueled in flight and land with large loads on austere landing strips.

Eagle Claw, the attempted rescue operation for US hostages held captive in Tehran, had exposed a critical gap in the US military’s airlift capabilities.

A mid-air collision between a Lockheed Martin C-130 and a helicopter during an Iranian sandstorm ended the flawed operation. The limitations of both aircraft required a refueling stop en route to the target area – a requirement the USAF wished to eliminate.

After budget-related delays, the USAF finally initiated the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) C-17 development programme in 1987. The maiden flight occurred four years later, and the first operational unit was stood up in 1995.

Powered by four Pratt& Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofans, the C-17’s signature flight profile is still in a class by itself: takeoff from a 7,600ft airfield with a 160,000lb payload, fly 2,400nm and land on an austere airfield in 3,000ft or less. The aircraft features a T-tail and high-wing configuration.

Boeing has sold 190 C-17s to the USAF and another 18 to foreign customers, including the Australia, Canada, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the UK.

Congress has also approved the purchase of 15 more C-17s for the USAF. However, a new funding commitment by the US customer is required in 2009 to extend the airlifter’s production line beyond 2011.

Boeing C-17 Cutaway