The Journey of Flight.pdf - Valkyrie Cadet

Chapter Chapter 14 14 - - Militar Military Militar y Air Aircraft Air craft
In 1982, the US Congress authorized production of 50 C-5Bs, an advanced version of the Galaxy.
The first delivery was made in 1986, and the final aircraft was delivered in early 1989.
The C-5 has a basic crew of five and is capable of in-flight refueling. Although it can carry troops,
it is primarily a cargo hauler. The C-5’s big-load delivery role is shared by the C-141 Starlifter.
C-141B Starlifter. The Starlifter has been the backbone of our strategic airlift. Although the Starlifter
is smaller than the Galaxy, it is by no means a small aircraft. It can carry 45 tons of cargo and has a
range of up to 6,000 miles. Beginning in 1976, Lockheed began modifying all of the C-141As toC-
141Bs. The project was completed in 1982. This modification consisted of stretching the fuselage by
23 feet and adding an in-flight refueling capability. It will enter retirement in the year 2005.
C-130 Hercules. Like the C-5 and the C-141, the Hercules is built by the Lockheed-Georgia
Company. The Hercules is much smaller than the C-5 or the C-141 and is turboprop-powered rather
than turbojet-powered. However, the C-130 has to be considered one of the most successful aircraft of
all times. The C-130 is also one of the most highly modified of all airplanes. Over thirty models have
been produced and are used by 52 foreign countries and by the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and
Coast Guard. It is used as a transport, a tanker, a gunship, a reconnaissance aircraft, for search and
rescue, for communications, for weather observation and to launch drones (unmanned aircraft). The C-
130 has a cruising speed of about 350 mph and can carry up to 92 troops or 45,000 pounds of cargo.
VC-25A, the President’s
airplane is also known as
“Air Force One!”
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Lockheed C-130 Hercules