The Lockheed C-5A/B Galaxy is the largest USAF aircraft and is a conventional high-wing, T-tailed transport aircraft. The C-5A made his maiden flight on June 30, 1968, and the first operational C-5A reached Military Airlift Command on December 17, 1969 and the last was delivered in May 1973.
Delivery of the upgraded C-5A, the new built C-5B version began in January 1985. The C-5B is the upgraded version with strengthened wings and an in-flight-refueling receptacle, introducing improved automated flight control system and a malfunction detection and analysis and recording system. The C-5’s have a 28 wheel main undercarriage.
The C-5A/B Galaxy mission profile:
Passengers Transport:
the C-5A/B always seats 73 personnel in rearward-facing airline-style seats in the upper aft deck, located above the main cargo compartment. If they using palletized seats in its cargo compartment there is place for another 290 passengers.
Equipment Transport:
typical loads include two M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks.
one M1A1 Abrams and two M2 Bradley fighting vehicles.
four M551 Sheridan light tanks plus one tactical vehicle.
sixteen 3/4 ton trucks.
ten LAV-25’s light armored vehicles.
four Boeing AH-64D Apache attack-helicopters.
Airborne operations:
the C-5A/B is not usually employed for airborne operations but some crews are qualified, the rear loading ramp is capable of opening in flight to drop 338 paratroopers, or four Sheridan tanks or a combination of these.
A total of 131 C-5s have been built. The first 81 were C-5A models built in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. In the 1980s, production resumed, and 50 new Galaxy’s designated C-5Bs, were built with some modest improvements. Two of the original C-5A’s, designated C-5C’s, were specially modified to carry spacecraft pieces that need to be transported quickly. Some unofficial sources claim this modification also enables the C-5C to be used for covert transportation of classified material between Lockheed’s Skunk Works in California and the test center at Groom Lake, Nevada, also known as Area 51. Lockheed and the U.S. government will neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of this speculation. Today, there are 125 C-5’s left: 74 A models, 50 B’s, and two C’s.
C-5M upgrade:
From 2005 the USAF is modernizing its C-5A and C-5B’s through the Aviation Modernization Program (AMP) and Reliability Enhancement and Re-engine Program (RERP). AMP take care of the electronics and will improve flight safety and navigation equipment. RERP will replace the four General Electric TF39-GE-1C turbofans by four General Electric F138-GE-100 engines. 112 C-5A, B and C’s will be reworked during these programs, the first C-5M Galaxy is the 86-0013.
Lockheed C-5A/B Galaxy in action:
The C-5A/B are in airlift supporting since US operations in Vietnam, Israel during the October War of 1973, Desert Shield/Storm effort of 1990-91, Deliberate Force (1994)and allied Force (1999) in former Yugoslavia and support in Enduring Freedom the actions against the Taliban, Osama bin Laden? his organization Al-Qaeda and Iraqi Freedom.
| Developing Nation: | United states of America. |
| Manufacturer/designer: | Lockheed. |
| Production line: | closed |
| Task: | Strategic airlift. |
| First Flight: | – C-5A June 30, 1968 (66-8303). – C-5B September 10, 1985 (83-1285). – C-5M February 2006, (86-0013). |
| First Delivery: | June 1970 |
| First Operational: | December 17, 1970. |
| Crew: | 5. |
| C-5B Galaxy. | |
| Wing span: | 67,88 m. |
| Wing area: | 575,98 m². |
| Wing aspect ratio: | 7,75. |
| Length: | 75,54 m. |
| Height: | 19,85 m. |
| Tailplane span: | 20,94 m |
| Wheel track: | 11,42 m. |
| Wheelbase: | 22,22 m. |
| Engine (s): | four General Electric TF39-GE-1C turbofans each rated 191.27 kN. |
| Weight: | – empty: 169.643 Kg. – max. ramp weight: kg. – fuel: 150.815 kg. – max. payload: 118.387 Kg. |
| Max. Take off weight: | 379.657 kg. |
| Cruise speed: | 833 km/h. |
| Max. Speed: | 919 Km/h. |
| Service ceiling: | 10.895 m. |
| Max. Range: | 10.411 km. |
| Performance: | – take-off run 2.530 m at max. take-off weight. – landing run 725 m at max. landing weight. – max. rate of climb at sea level 525 m/min. |
written-off by accidents:
| 25-5-1970 | 67-0172 | C-5A Palmdale AP, CA burnt out in ground fire. |
| 17-10-1970 | 66-8303 | C-5A Dobbins AFB, GA burnt out in ground fire. |
| 27-09-1974 | 68-0227 | C-5A 443rd MAW, Clinton MAP, OK made an emergency landing, overran runway, broke into three parts and burnt out. |
| 04-04-1975 | 68-0218 | C-5A 60th MAW, East of Saigon River, near Saigon, South-Vietnam, massive structural failure in rear cargo door area, 206 killed, 175 survived. |
| 29-08-1990 | 68-0228 | C-5A 60th MAW, near Ramstein AB, Germany. Crashed? shortly after take-off just outside air base, 13 killed, 4 injured. |
| 03-04-2006 | 84-0059 | C-5B of the 436th AW the cargo plane
crashed in take-off near Dover Air Force Base, broke into three parts, all 17 people aboard survived, though several were injured. |
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy operators: |
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| United States Air Force. |
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