C-5 Galaxy
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C-5 Galaxy
Type Strategic airlifter
Manufacturer Lockheed-Georgia Co.
Maiden flight 30 June 1968
Introduced June 1970
Status Operational
Primary user United States Air Force
Produced C-5A: 1968-1973
C-5B: 1985-1989
Number built 131 (C-5A: 81, C-5B: 50)
Unit cost US$167.7 million (C-5B)

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft designed to provide strategic heavy airlift over intercontinental distances. It is the largest American military transport and one of the largest military aircraft in the world, designed to carry outsize and oversize cargo. The C-5 was developed and produced by Lockheed and is operated by the United States Air Force.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Mission
* 2 History
o 2.1 Retired aircraft
* 3 Features
* 4 Variants
o 4.1 C-5A
o 4.2 C-5B
o 4.3 C-5C
o 4.4 C-5M
* 5 Incidents and accidents
* 6 Operators
* 7 Specifications (C-5B)
* 8 Trivia
* 9 Notes
* 10 External links
* 11 Related content

[edit] Mission

The C-5, with its tremendous payload capability, provides the Air Mobility Command (AMC) inter theater airlift in support of United States national defense. The C-5 and the C-17 Globemaster III are partners in AMC's strategic airlift concept. The aircraft can carry fully equipped combat-ready military units (including main battle tanks) to any point in the world on short notice, then provide the field support required to help sustain the fighting force.

[edit] History

In 1961, several aircraft companies began studying heavy jet transport designs that would replace the C-133 transport and complement current C-141 Starlifters. The US Army wanted a larger transport than the C-141. In 1962, the Army rejected the proposed CX-4 transport, because it was not viewed as a significant advance over the C-141. By late 1963, the CX-X conceptual design had a gross weight of 550,000 lb, a maximum payload of 180,000 lb and a speed of Mach 0.75. The cargo compartment was 17.2 ft wide by 13.5 ft high and 100 ft long and front and rear access doors.

Requests for Proposal (RPFs) for the Heavy Logistics System (CX-HLS) (previously CX-X) went for bid in 1964. The CX-HLS was equipped with four engines, instead of six engines in the earlier CX-4 concept. Later in 1964, proposals for aircraft were received from Boeing, Douglas, General Dynamics, Lockheed, and Martin Marietta. Proposals for engines were received from General Electric, Curtiss-Wright Corporation, and Pratt & Whitney. In 1965 Lockheed's aircraft design and General Electric's engine design were selected for the new transport.[1]

The first C-5A Galaxy (#66-8303) was "rolled out" on March 2, 1968. On June 30, 1968 Lockheed-Georgia Co. began flight testing its new Galaxy C-5A heavy transport with the aircraft's first flight taking to the air under the call-sign "Allen-zero-three-heavy".

Upon completion of testing the first C-5A was transferred to the Transitional Training Unit at Altus Air Force Base, OK, in December 1969. Lockheed then delivered the first operational Galaxy to the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, SC, in June 1970.

In the mid-1970s, wing cracks were found throughout the fleet. Consequently, all C-5A aircraft were restricted to a maximum of 50,000 lb (22,700 kg) of cargo each. To increase their lifting capability and service life, 77 C-5As underwent a re-winging program from 1981 to 1987. The final re-winged C-5A was delivered in July 1986.

The first C-5B incorporating significant improvements was delivered to Altus Air Force Base in January 1986. In March 1989, the last of 50 C-5B aircraft was added to the 77 C-5As in the Air Force's airlift force structure. The C-5B includes all C-5A improvements as well as more than 100 additional system modifications to improve reliability and maintainability. All C-5Bs are scheduled to remain in the active-duty force, shared by comparably sized and collocated Air Force Reserve associate units.

C-5s are stationed at Altus AFB, OK; Dover AFB, DE; and Travis AFB, CA. AMC transferred some C-5s to the Air Reserve components starting with Kelly AFB, Texas, in 1985; followed by Stewart Air National Guard Base, NY; and Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. Beginning in October 2005 squadrons were formed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio and for the Tennessee Air National Guard at Memphis International