C-17 Globemaster III - UK

Description

• Large military strategic and tactical transport aircraft

• Manufacturer: Boeing (originally McDonnell Douglas)

• Crew: 3 (pilot, co-pilot, loadmaster)

• Length: ~174 ft (53 m)

• Wingspan: ~169 ft 10 in (51.75 m)

• Height: ~55 ft 1 in (16.8 m)

• Engines: 4 × Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines (~40,440 lb thrust each)

• Maximum Takeoff Weight: ~585,000 lb (265,350 kg)

• Cruise Speed: ~450 knots (Mach ~0.74)

• Service Ceiling: ~45,000 ft (13,700 m)

• Unrefueled Range: ~2,400 nautical miles (with full payload) — but global with aerial refueling

• Payload Capacity: ~170,900 lb (77,500 kg)

🚚 Cargo & Mission Capabilities

• Carries heavy equipment: tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters and palletized cargo thanks to its large rear ramp.

• Can transport up to ~102 troops or paratroopers, or litters/patients for aeromedical evac missions.

• Designed to take off and land on short, austere, unpaved runways as short as ~3,500 ft (1,064 m), making it highly versatile.

🌍 Operational Use

The C-17 has been used by the U.S. Air Force and many other countries for global strategic airlift, tactical missions, humanitarian relief, and disaster response since the 1990s.