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
Of course, all of the aforementioned advantages are meaningless if the C-17 can't do what it's intended to do: transport cargo. This is where the C-17 truly shows its advantage over the aging C-141B. 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. This is enough room for the plane to transport either 18 full pallets of cargo, four Hummer's, three Bradley infantry fighting vehicles or M-1 tanks, or 102 paratroopers and their gear. 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. There is enough room to carry either 13 full pallets of cargo, one helicopter gunship, one tank, a few jeeps, pickups, or vans, or 155 paratroopers and their gear. 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. 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. To date, the C-17 Globemaster III has set 22 world records for jet cargo planes, including payload-to-altitude, time-to-climb, and short takeoff and landing. The C-141B Starlifter, a venerable and well-used transport plane for
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Approximate Word count = 922
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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