Just think- the C-5 Galaxy that we know today, was almost a Boeing 747.

Lockheed beat out Boeing and their entry for the Heavy Transport won.
Boeing went on to Commerial success by making this large transport into the worlds first jumbo jet airliner, and in long-haul international commercial freight as well.


If I were a pilot, I'd rather fly the 747; the C%'s belly is just too close to the ground... That would worry me a lot during take offs & landings...

 

Use to fly on KC135Q models from time to time back in the mid to late 60's. They were made to refuel the SR-71 only. Had a custom built fuel off loading system that seperated the normal JP-4 from the "special" fuel that the SR-71 required.

The tanker ran on the JP-4, which was loaded in the wings and the fore and aft body tanks had the SR-71 fuel for off loading in flight.

Plane also had strobe lights in addition to the rotating beacons. The SR-71 was traveling too fast to see the little rotating red and green beacons that located us. They added strobes to the wing tips and fore and aft fusalage.

When the SR-71 was on the boom being refueled it would be going in and out of afterburner to stay on. The delta wing just didn't have enough lift at that slow of a speed. We were limited to .9 Mach.

They were some good old times.

 

??? Can you supply the source of this info?

A C-5 is low to the ground so that tanks and trucks can drive into the aircraft without needing a ramp. To do this and have enough room for the engines requires a high wing design.

The 747 has a low wing with the engines mounted under the wings. To give you an idea of how tall the aircraft is the inborad engine nacelles are about 7ft off of the ground. To get anything into a 747 takes a ramp or lift, this would be highly undesirable for a military application. To move the wing would take massive amounts of rework and money.

I would believe that Boeing and Lockheed both tried to get the C-5 contract, but I have a dificult time seeing the current 747 as a military transport.

Joe

 

Exactly- all the reasons you pointed out is exactly why it lost to the C-5.

On the 747, the cargo would have been loaded through the front.



There are many- but here is one: 747 History

Boeing lost the contract to Lockheed's C-5 Galaxy but came under pressure from its most loyal airline customer, Pan Am, to develop a giant passenger plane that would be over twice the size of the 707.

Pan Am 747: (Source Wikipedia)

© This image is copyrighted. The copyright holder allows anyone to use it for any purpose.
Interesting Trivia: Just one engine on a 747 produces more thrust than all four engines on an early model Boeing 707 combined.

C-5 Galaxy: (AKA- F.R.E.D.)

Interesting Trivia: The C-5 fuel load is almost equal to the gross weight of a C-141 Starlifter

 

The C-5 max fuel load of 332,500 lbs with all tanks full is more than the 141 GW at 2.5g maneuver limit and just under at the 2.25g maneuver limit.
The C-5's max take-off gross weight is 769,000 lbs and 840,000 lbs wartime limit. With the new engines, this will probably increase to over 1,000,000 lbs.

I know most of the C-5 trivia because I was a C-5 Flight Engineer for 13 years.

 

The Antonov 225 can take off with over 1,320,000 lbs of cargo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Buran_AN-225.jpg

Right now, it's the heavy lift Champion of the world.

-------------------------------------
2nd runner up- The AN-124 (Which competes with the C-5 in terms of role)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:A...AH-124-100.JPG

Gets off the ground at 839,000 lbs.

 

Both true statements. Too bad that both of the Antonovs are technologically inferior. Having been onboard both airframes (on the ground) I am amazed that they even fly and I would certainly not want to fly it.

 

The Antonov can take off at 1,320,000 gross weight. Cargo capacity is 551,000lbs.
That being said, who wants to be anywhere near when 1.3 million pounds hits the ground, and I don't me in a normal landing.

 

Theres nothing like standing at EOR and launching 10 or more B-52's take off. I did that for 3 years while working on them. Then switched to A-10's for another 3 years. Went thru Desert Storm working A-10.

Want to **** a pilot off??? When hes got the engine turned up and ready to let her rip.....Tell him the front tire on his landing gear is about to blow and your not letting him take off.

Man was he pissed at me that day...I dont care, I prolly saved his life.


BREW

Keep talkin guys, this ones entertaining

 

Brewdude, know the feeling we use to sit at the last turnoff at Kadena when the B-52's and KC-135's launched. The "Ground Shook"....the vibration and noise would hurt your knees.

When we were at Anderson, Guam we would sit at the far end of the runway on launch and you could see the "cross wind crab" cranked in as they came down the runway.

Brings back Fond memories........

 

Oh man...I love Guam. I spent a month on that island.....your right, what fond memories.


BREW

 

I got a kick out of watching F-16, after F-16, after F-16 take off from Osan AFB in South Korea.

I don't know where so many of them were going; but those little sum-b!tchez are loud...

We all sat on the tarmac at Osan AFB freshly arrived turtles into Korea.

 

Hey 2Fords,

Right back at ya brother. IYAOYAS!

Spent a year on Guam. Almost cost me my job, and a divorce. Great Memories!!!!.