Американский тяжелый военно-транспортный самолет C-5 Galaxy

American heavy military transport aircraft

{| Ridiculous Economic/Environmental Disaster. Takeoff and landing distance requirements for the plane at maximum load gross weight are 8300 feet (2530 m) and 4900 feet (1494 m), respectively. Its high flotation main landing gear provides 28 wheels to distribute gross weight on paved or earth surfaces. The rear main landing gear can be made to caster to make a smaller turning radius, and rotates 90° after takeoff before being retracted. "Kneeling" landing gear permits lowering the aircraft when parked, thereby presenting the cargo deck at truck bed height to facilitate loading and unloading operations. The C 5 features a malfunction detection analysis and recording system to identify errors throughout the aircraft.

The first C 5A was delivered to the USAF on 17 December 1969. Wings were built up in the early 1970s at Altus AFB, Oklahoma; Charleston AFB, South Carolina; Dover AFB, Delaware; and Travis AFB, California. The C 5's first mission was on 9 July 1970, in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. C 5s were used to transport equipment and troops, including Army tanks and even some small aircraft, throughout the later years of the US action in Vietnam. In the final weeks of the war, prior to the Fall of Saigon, several C 5s were involved in evacuation efforts. During one such mission, a C 5A crashed while transporting a large number of orphans, with over 140 killed. The C 5 Galaxy's performance in Israel was such that the Pentagon began to consider further purchases. The C 5 was regularly made available to support American allies, such as the British led peacekeeper initiative in Zimbabwe in 1979. On 24 October 1974, the Space and Missile Systems Organization successfully conducted an air launched ballistic missile test, where a C 5A Galaxy aircraft air dropped an Minuteman ICBM from 20000 feet (6096 m) over the Pacific Ocean. The missile descended to 8000 feet (2438 m) before its rocket engine fired. The 10 second engine burn carried the missile to 20000 feet (6096 m) again before it dropped into the ocean. The test proved the feasibility of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile from the air. Operational deployment was discarded due to engineering and security difficulties, though the capability was used as a negotiating point in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. Aircraft 69–0014, "Zero One Four" used in the test was retired to the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base. The C 5 has been used for several unusual functions. During the development of the secretive stealth fighter, the Lockheed F 117 Nighthawk, Galaxies were often used to carry partly disassembled aircraft, leaving no exterior signs as to their cargo. The C 5 remains the largest aircraft to operate in the Antarctic, capable of operating from Williams Field near McMurdo Station. The C 5 Galaxy was a major supply asset in the international coalition operations in 1990–91 against Iraq in the Gulf War. C 5s have routinely delivered relief aid and humanitarian supplies to areas afflicted with natural disasters or crisis; multiple flights were made over Rwanda in 1994. The C 5 is also used to transport Marine One. The wings on the C 5As were replaced during the 1980s to restore full design capability. The reliability of the C 5 fleet has been a continued issue throughout its lifetime, however the C 5M upgrade program seeks in part to address this issue. The C 5 AMP and RERP modernization programs plan to raise mission capable rate to a minimum goal of 75%. The first C 5M conversion was completed on 16 May 2006 and C 5Ms began test flights at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in June 2006. The C 5As will receive only the avionics upgrades. The last of 52 C 5Ms was delivered to Air Mobility Command in August 2018. In response to Air Force plans to retire older C 5 aircraft, Congress implemented legislation that set limits on retirement plans for C 5As in 2003. As of November 2013, 45 C 5As have been retired, 11 have been scrapped, parts of one (A/C 66 8306) are now a cargo load trainer at Lackland AFB, Texas, and one was sent to the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR ALC) for tear down and inspection to evaluate structural integrity and estimate the remaining life for the fleet. The U. S. Air Force began to receive refitted C 5M aircraft in December 2008. Full production of C 5Ms began in the summer of 2009. In 2009, the Congressional ban on the retirement of C 5s was overturned. The Air Force seeks to retire one C 5A for every 10 new C 17s ordered. In October 2011, the 445th Airlift Wing based at Wright Patterson Air Force Base replaced all remaining C 5s with C 17s. The C 5M reached initial operating capability (IOC) on 24 February 2014 with 16 aircraft delivered. On 13 September 2009, a C 5M set 41 new records and flight data was submitted to the National Aeronautic Association for formal recognition. The C 5M had carried a payload of to over 41100 feet (12527 m) in 23 minutes, 59 seconds. Additionally, 33 time to climb records at various payload classes were set, and the world record for greatest payload to was broken. The aircraft was in the category of with a takeoff weight of including payload, fuel, and other equipment. On 18 July 2017, C 5s based at Dover were ordered to stand down so maintenance crews could determine the cause for some nose landing gear failing. The last TF39 powered C 5 flew in late 2017.

The C 5A is the original version of the C 5. From 1969 to 1973, 81 C 5As were delivered to the Military Airlift Command of the U. S. Air Force. Due to cracks found in the wings in the mid 1970s, the cargo weight was restricted. To restore the C 5's full capability, the wing structure was redesigned. A program to install new strengthened wings on 77 C 5As was conducted from 1981 to 1987. The redesigned wing made use of a new aluminum alloy that did not exist during the original production. As of August 2016, there were 10 A models in service flown by the Air Force Reserve Command's 433d Airlift Wing at Lackland AFB / Kelly Field, Texas, and 439th Airlift Wing at Westover ARB, Massachusetts. The last operational C 5A was retired on 7 September 2017.

The C 5B is an improved version of the C 5A. It incorporated all modifications and improvements made to the C 5A with improved wings, simplified landing gear, upgraded TF 39 GE 1C turbofan engines and updated avionics. Fifty examples of the new variant were delivered to the U. S. Air Force from 1986 to 1989.

The C 5C is a specially modified variant for transporting large cargo. Two C 5As (68 0213 and 68 0216) were modified following major accidents to have a larger internal cargo capacity to accommodate large payloads, such as satellites. The major modifications were the removal of the rear passenger compartment floor, splitting the rear cargo door in the middle, and installing a new movable aft bulkhead further to the rear. The official C 5 technical manual refers to the version as C 5A(SCM) Space Cargo Modified. Modifications also included adding a second inlet for ground power, which can feed any power dependent equipment that may form part of the cargo. The two C 5Cs are operated by U. S. Air Force crews for DOD spacecraft programs and NASA, and are stationed at Travis AFB, California. Both C 5Cs #68 0213 and #68 0216 have been modified into C 5Ms as of 2017.

Proposed during the 1990s Non Developmental Airlift Aircraft (NDAA) program as an alternative to further purchases of the McDonnell Douglas C 17 Globemaster III as well as a replacement for older C 5As. The C 5D was to have General Electric F138 GE 100 (CF6 80C2) engines, improved avionics and significantly improved reliability and maintainability, although it could not use austere runways or conduct airdrop operations and had a higher expected operating cost. The plan was canceled in favor of the purchase of more C 17s. The specifications of the C 5D were later used in the C 5M upgrade program.

Following a study showing that 80% of the C 5 airframe's service life was remaining, Air Mobility Command (AMC) began an aggressive program to modernize all remaining C 5Bs and C 5Cs and many of the C 5As. The C 5 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) began in 1998 and includes upgrading the avionics to comply with Global Air Traffic Management standards, improving communications, fitting new flat panel displays, improving navigation and safety equipment, and installing a new autopilot system. The first flight of a C 5 with AMP (85 0004) occurred on 21 December 2002. The Reliability Enhancement and Re engining Program (RERP) began in 2006. It includes fitting new General Electric F138 GE 100 (CF6 80C2) engines, pylons and auxiliary power units, and upgrades to aircraft skin and frame, landing gear, cockpit and pressurization systems. Each CF6 engine produces 22% more thrust , providing a 30% shorter takeoff, a 38% higher climb rate to initial altitude, an increased cargo load and a longer range. Upgraded C 5s are designated C 5M Super Galaxy.

Lockheed also planned a civilian version of the C 5 Galaxy, the L 500, the company designation also used for the C 5 itself. Both passenger and cargo versions of the L 500 were designed. The all passenger version would have been able to carry up to 1,000 travelers, while the all cargo version was predicted to be able to carry typical C 5 volume for as little as 2 cents per ton mile (in 1967 dollars). Although some interest was expressed by carriers, no orders were placed for either L 500 version, due to operational costs caused by low fuel efficiency, a significant concern for a profit making carrier, even before the oil crisis of the 1970s, keen competition from Boeing's 747, and high costs incurred by Lockheed in developing the C 5, and later the L 1011, which led to the governmental rescue of the company.

Lockheed proposed a twin body C 5 as a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to counter the Conroy Virtus, but the design was turned down in favor of the Boeing 747.

Three C 5 Galaxy aircraft have been lost in crashes along with two class A losses resulting from ground fire, with a combined total of 169 fatalities. At least two other C 5 crashes have resulted in major airframe damage, but the aircraft were repaired and returned to service.

On 27 May 1970, C 5A AF Serial No. 67 0172 was destroyed during a ground fire at Palmdale, California, after an Air Turbine Motor started backwards and quickly overheated, setting the hydraulic system on fire and consuming the aircraft. The engines were not running at the time of the fire. Five crew escaped, and seven firefighters suffered minor injuries fighting the blaze. On 17 October 1970, C 5A AF Serial No. 66 8303 was destroyed during a ground fire at the Lockheed Aircraft plant at Dobbins AFB in Marietta, Georgia. The fire started during maintenance in one of the aircraft's 12 fuel cells. One worker was killed and another injured. This was the first C 5 aircraft produced. The crash occurred while trying to make an emergency landing at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, following a rear pressure door lock failure in flight. 144 people (including 78 children) were killed out of the 313 aboard (243 children, 44 escorts, 16 flight crew and 10 medical crew). Use of the C 5 was heavily restricted for several months following the high profile accident. On 31 July 1983, C 5A Serial No. 70 0446 crashed while landing at the former Shemya Air Force Base on Shemya Island in Alaska. The C 5 approached below the glide slope in heavy fog, hit landing light poles and an embankment short of the runway, stopping at the 5,000 foot mark on the runway with the nose gear at the side of the runway embankment. Structural damage was extensive and the two aft main landing gear bogies were sheared from the aircraft. There were no fatalities. A joint USAF–Lockheed team made repairs, enabling a ferry flight from Shemya to the Lockheed plant in Marietta, Georgia, later that year. There, the aircraft was dubbed Phoenix II and permanent repair efforts got under way. In addition to the structural repairs, the aircraft also received an improved landing gear system (common to the then new C 5B), wing modification, and a color weather radar upgrade. The aircraft was returned to service. In July 1983, C 5A Serial No. 68 0216 landed gear up at Travis Air Force Base, California. There were no injuries. The accident occurred while the crew was performing touch and go landings, and did not lower the landing gear during the final approach of the day. The aircraft received significant damage to the lower fuselage, ramp, clamshell doors, and main landing gear pods. The C 5A was later flown to Marietta for repairs. While there, the aircraft was selected to be the first C 5A converted to the C 5C configuration. On 29 August 1990, C 5A Serial No. 68 0228 crashed following an engine failure shortly after take off. The aircraft took off from Ramstein Air Base in Germany in support of Operation Desert Shield. It was flown by a nine member reserve crew from the 68th Airlift Squadron, 433d Airlift Wing based at Kelly AFB, Texas. As the aircraft started to climb off the runway, one of the thrust reversers suddenly deployed. This resulted in loss of control of the aircraft and the subsequent crash. Of the 17 people on board, only four survived the crash. All four were in the rear troop compartment. The sole crew member to survive, Staff Sgt. Lorenzo Galvan Jr., was awarded the Airman's Medal for his actions in evacuating the survivors from the wreckage. The aircraft was one of the first to receive the new avionics and glass flight displays for C 5 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP). This accident led to a redesign of the cockpit engine displays, particularly the visual indicators of a non active engine. The aircraft was declared a total hull loss and the airframe was scrapped, but the forward fuselage became a C 5 AMP test bed.

C 5A, AF Ser. No. 70 0451, has been delivered to the Travis Air Force Base Heritage Center at Travis Air Force Base for future display. This is the penultimate operational C 5A, with the last operational C 5A delivered to Davis Monthan Air Force Base for spare parts. However, as display space could not be found, it was decided to scrap the aircraft which is currently being conducted. C 5A, AF Ser. No. 69 0014, is on display at the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. This is the first C 5 aircraft to go on museum display.