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Aviation History
1985
1985 - 1241.PDF
DEFENCE *;fc?ftt^:V; " ''^ :';';:;:SS&;"- : sts B^^BIS UflMHMMcMII Mm wmm H3SL r^Stttmh.;!:- .tlttini,.^K;tfajr C-17 will fill long-haul airlift gap LONG BEACH Approved by the US Defence Systems Acquisition Review Council on February 22, the McDonnell Douglas C-17 is now in the full-scale engineer ing development stage. But the aircraft still faces two uncertainties. The first is a Congress- ionally mandated tactical air lift study, the so-called Worldwide Intra-theatre Mobility Study (Wims) which has been under way for more than a year and is scheduled to be presented to Congress in February 1986. The second possible stumbling block is that, in return for voting through MX, Congress wants cuts in other defence projects, and the C-17 programme might be either stretched or suffer cuts to appease Congress. But for now the C-17 enjoys growing support from the US Air Force. So far, Military Airlift Command planners have been successful in keep ing distance between pro duction of 50 Lockheed C-5B Galaxys and the projected 210 C-17s so that the two aircraft do not compete for the airlift budget. As the table shows, C-17 production funds start at a higher level than those of the C-5B end. The USAF expects to beat off the argu ment that C-5B production costs will almost halve as production winds down, and that continued production of C-5B would therefore be a cheaper option than initiating the C-17 line. The present schedule calls for C-17 to make its maiden flight in 1989, with an initial operating capability of 12 aircraft by 1992. Full deploy ment of the 210-aircraft C-17 fleet is scheduled by 1998. In Fiscal Year 1984 dollars the C-17's flyaway unit cost is $85 million compared with $141 million for the C-5B, accord ing to McDonnell Douglas. Procurement cost (which includes support equipment, simulators, and technical manuals) is estimated at $94 million per aircraft for the C-17 compared with $150 million for the C-5B, says McDonnell Douglas. The Pentagon has esti mated that C-17 development costs will be $4,015 million, with an additional $35,000 million for production of 210 aircraft. For the FSD phase the Air Force has $123 million in FY85 funds and is seeking $453-7 million in FY86 and $825 million in FY87 funding. McDonnell Douglas is con fident that the C-17 will go ahead as planned. "The com pany position is not to talk against the C-5. The battle between C-5 and C-17 is over and the decision is made. But the 51st aircraft ought to be the C-17. That's where we stand," says Craig Mande- ville, C-17 Programme Devel opment Manager. At present Douglas Aircraft has about 400 engineers work ing on the C-17; this will rise to 2,500 as the first flight approaches. With C-17 pro duction set for 25 aircraft a year in 1992, 12,000 people will be working on the C-17 FLIGHT International, 27 April 1985 9
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