By Aaron Spray
The C-5 Super Galaxy is expected to fly beyond 2040 and is the Air Force's only and largest strategic airlifter.
Summary
- Due to its size, the C-5 Galaxy can carry heavy loads, such as tanks and helicopters, up to twice as much as other airlifters.
- All produced C-5 Galaxies are in service with the US Air Force, boasting excellent cargo capacity for intercontinental transport.
- Upgrades to the C-5M Super Galaxy aim to extend service life at least through 2040.
The LockheedC-5 Galaxyis today'slargest military transport in the United States Air Force (larger than the A380). The giant aircraft gives theAir Forceintercontinental strategic airlift capabilities and can carry oversized and outsized loads. The Super Galaxy can carry 350 people, two M1 Abrams main battle tanks, six Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters, or 5 Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The belly of the beast is wide enough for double rows of vehicles. It can carry up to twice as much cargo as any other US airlifter (although it rarely does carry these heavy loads to preserve its airframe).
The Air Force's largest air lifter
"As the Air Force’s largest and only strategic airlifter, the C-5 Galaxy can carry more cargo farther distances than any other aircraft. With a payload of six Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs) or up to five helicopters, the C-5 can haul twice as much cargo as any other airlifted." - Lockheed Martin
Photo: Rix Pix Photography | Shutterstock.com
The first C-5 Galaxy flew in 1968 and was delivered to the Air Force in June 1970. The last was delivered in March 1989, meaning no new C-5 Galaxy has been built from scratch in around 35 years.
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is larger than the Air Force's Lockheed C-141 Starlifter,Boeing's C-17 Globemaster III, and itsAirbus A400MEuropean counterpart. The C-5 Galaxy, however, is notthe largest military transport aircraft in the world- that accolade now goes to the Antonov An-124 built in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union. An-124s are now used by Russia and Ukraine (withAntonov Airlines). The largest military aircraft in the world was the singular Antonov An-225 Mriya, butit was destroyed early in the Full-Scale Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
First Flight | 30 June 1968 |
|---|---|
Number Built: | 131 |
Number in Service: | 52 (2018) |
Primary Function: | Outsize cargo transport |
Operator: | US Air Force (exclusively) |
Military men and women often give nicknames to things they love and hate - and the airmen of the Air Force are no exception. While the nickname for the iconic B-52 Stratofortress is "BUFF" (Big, Ugly, Fat F***er), the nickname for the C-5 Galaxy is "FRED" (F***ing Ridiculous Economic/Environmental Disaster).
Related
The aircraft is an impressively versatile strategic airlifter.
Modernization to C-5M Super Galaxy
The primary mission of the C-5M Super Galaxy is to transport cargo and personnel for the Department of Defense. The most modern variant of the C-5 Galaxy is the C-5M Super Galaxy. These airframes were upgraded from older airframes after a study found that the aircraft still had 80% of their service life remaining. The first upgrade began in 1998, receiving the C-5 Avionics Modernization Program that upgraded the avionics. This improved the aircraft's communications, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management systems. A new autopilot was also installed.
Another upgrade began in 2006 and included the new GE F136-GE-100 engines fitted to the airframes. The new engines gave the Galaxy 22% increased thrust, 30% shorter takeoff roll, and 58% faster climb rate. In addition, the engines allow more cargo to be carried at a greater distance. The last of the C-5s received the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engineering Program in 2018. TheAir Forcestated that in 2018, more modernizations are planned for the Galaxies in the future. The upgrades are expected to lengthen the service life of the Galaxies to 2040 and beyond.
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An Absolute Unit: Everything You Need To Know About The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
The airplane is higher than a six-story building, features an upper deck for up to 80 passengers, and can carry multiple helicopters simultaneously.
Specifications & role
As with many complicated development projects, the C-5 Galaxy's development suffered significant cost overruns and issues with some of the first aircraft supplied to the Air Force (such as cracks in many wings). Since entering service in 1969, the C-5 Galaxy has been used in all major US military operations worldwide (e.g., Afghanistan, former Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Vietnam). Additionally, the Galaxy has been employed in humanitarian operations and was even involved in the space program.
Photo: United States Air Force
According to theUS Air Force(as of February 2018), the service has 52 Galaxies in service of the C-5B/C/M variants (a total of 131 examples have been built). They are based at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware; Travis AFB, California; Lackland AFB, Texas; and Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. The Air Force retired aircraft that were not upgraded.
Latest Variant: | C-5M Super Galaxy |
|---|---|
Engines: | 4x GE CF6-80C2-L1F (F-138) |
Wingspan: | 222 feet 9 inches |
Length: | 247 feet 10 inches |
Cargo Load: | 281,001 pounds |
Max Takeoff Weight: | 840,000 pounds |
Range: | 7,000 nautical miles with no cargo and no refueling |
Photo:Richard Stephen / Shutterstock
Super Galaxies can carry a cargo load of 281,001 pounds (or over 127 tons) and fly 2,150 nautical miles. After offloading, they can fly to a second base 500 nautical miles from the original destination. They can accomplish all this without aerial refueling. Super Galaxies can also refuel in the air, essentially giving them unlimited range, barring human limitations.
With a cruising speed of 518 mph, the Super Galaxy is only slightly slower than most modern airliners. One of its features is that its nose and aft doors open, allowing cargo to be loaded and unloaded from both ends simultaneously. This cuts down the aircraft's loading and unloading turnaround times, helping make the Super Galaxy an invaluable strategic asset to the Air Force.
