C-141vsC-17compare&contrast

For the past 39 years, the C-141B Starlifter cargo jet has served the United States Air Force as it’s primary workhorse for handling transport duties during armed conflicts, as well as, peacekeeping and humanitarian missions throughout the world. However, the needs of today’s military in the ever-changing worldwide environment have begun to reveal the C-141B’s age. In recent years, threats to the United States national security have increased the immediacy of replacing the C-141B with an aircraft that meets the current needs of our military, yet is flexible enough to meet future needs as well. The C-17 Globemaster III, originally developed to complement the C-141B, has now become the heir apparent to the aging Starlifter.

Developed in 1991 and operational since 1995, the C-17 Globemaster III is in every way superior to the aging C-141B. With its four engines each producing 40,500 pounds of thrust, the C-17 is capable of a maximum speed of 515 mph and a service ceiling of 45,000 feet. Its powerful engines allow the C-17 to use a runway only 3,000 feet long. By comparison, the C-141B’s four engines produce only 20,250 pounds of thrust. This limits the aircraft to a maximum speed of 475 mph and a service ceiling of 41,000 fee

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Like the C-141B, the C-17 can drop its cargo from a very low altitude of 300-500 feet, however, the C-17 is much more flexible in the speed at which it does so. In contrast, maintenance on a C-17 is a lot more simplified. 3 million per plane, whereas the C-17 costs $236. A mechanic just out of field training school can access the maintenance bit computer to find any faulty component.

There is actually one advantage that the C-141B has over the C-17: cost. The C-17 Globemaster III is the right choice to replace C-141B Starlifter, and should meet all of our military’s air transport needs now, and well into the future. The C-17 cargo bay measures 88 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 12 feet high, and is capable of supporting up to 169,000 pounds. The C-141B, however, requires as many as six crewmembers to operate. A C-17 can drop its cargo at a very flexible speed range of 130-290 mph, while the C-141B is limited to a speed range of 150-200 mph for cargo drops. As the plane has long been out of production, attaining necessary parts for repair has also become a difficult task. The cargo bay of the C-141 measures 93 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 9 feet high, and is capable of supporting a maximum cargo weight of only 72,000 pounds. A pilot, co-pilot, engineer, and scanner are necessary to fly the plane, and 2-3 loadmasters are required to manage the cargo and passengers. A pilot and a co-pilot handle flying duties, while only one loadmaster is responsible for the cargo bay, cargo, and passengers.

Of course, all of the aforementioned advantages are meaningless if the C-17 can’t do what it’s intended to do: transport cargo.

Approximate Word count = 922
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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