#C5 round airbridge series

On 28 August 1981, McDonnell Douglas was chosen to build its proposal, then designated C-17. Lockheed submitted both a C-5-based design and an enlarged C-141 design. Boeing bid an enlarged three-engine version of its AMST YC-14. McDonnell Douglas chose to develop a new aircraft based on the YC-15. The USAF set mission requirements and released a request for proposals (RFP) for C-X in October 1980. Compounding matters, increased strategic airlift capabilities was needed to fulfill its rapid-deployment airlift requirements. īy 1980, the USAF had a large fleet of aging C-141 Starlifter cargo aircraft. The USAF started the C-X program in November 1979 to develop a larger AMST with longer range to augment its strategic airlift. Though both entrants exceeded specified requirements, the AMST competition was canceled before a winner was selected.

The Advanced Medium STOL Transport (AMST) competition was held, with Boeing proposing the YC-14, and McDonnell Douglas proposing the YC-15. Air Force began looking for a replacement for its Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical cargo aircraft. The McDonnell Douglas YC-15 design was used as the basis for the C-17.

The type played a key logistical role during both Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq, as well as in providing humanitarian aid in the aftermath of various natural disasters, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2011 Sindh floods.

The transport is in service with the USAF along with air arms of India, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and the Europe-based multilateral organization Heavy Airlift Wing. 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. The final C-17 was completed at the Long Beach, California plant and flown on 29 November 2015. Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, continued to manufacture the C-17 for almost two decades. The C-17 formally entered USAF service on 17 January 1995. On 15 September 1991, roughly one year behind schedule, the first C-17 performed its maiden flight.

#C5 round airbridge series

Development was protracted by a series of design issues, causing the company to incur a loss of nearly US$1.5 billion on the program's development phase. Compared to the YC-15, the redesigned airlifter differed in having swept wings, increased size, and more powerful engines. It was designed to replace the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, and also fulfill some of the duties of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. The C-17 is based upon the YC-15, a smaller prototype airlifter designed during the 1970s. 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 McDonnell Douglas/ Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas.