Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, one of the largest military transport aircraft in the world today
The first flight was made on June 30, 1968, the C-5 Galaxy continues to be trusted, the US Air Force even plans to maintain it until 2040
C-5 Galaxy began service with the US Air Force in 1969, it was present in the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan
The C-5 Galaxy project began in 1961, in an effort to create a heavy jet transport
that would replace the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster and complement the Lockheed C-141 Starlifters
The result was an aircraft with a maximum payload of 118 tons and can carry it to a range of 5,526 km
The range can be extended by in-flight refueling. However during wartime a maximum payload of 132 t is allowed
When introduced in 1970, the C-5 Galaxy became the largest aircraft in the world and remains one of the largest today
This aircraft can carry two M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks, 10 LAV-25 armored reconnaissance vehicles
16 HMMWVs, or 7 UH-1 Huey helicopters
Alternatively it can carry 36 standard 463L pallets. A combination of vehicles and pallets can be carried
The C-5 can airlift a combat ready military unit. The upper deck accommodates 73 passengers
The lower deck can be configured for transportation of 270 troops
Although not usually assigned airdrop duties, the C-5 can also drop paratroops
The design of the C-5 Galaxy consisted of shoulder-mounted
swept-back wing mainplanes to which each held a pair of underslung engine nacelles towards their leading edges
The flightdeck was seated over a short, downward-sloped nose cone giving a commanding view of the ground ahead
The nosecone was hinged to open upwards allowing access to the hold within the body of the aircraft
The tail unit was raised aft of center mass to provide unrestricted access to the rear cargo area
The tail was arranged as a "T-style" assembly in which a single vertical fin supported very-high-mounted horizontal planes
The typical crew consists of seven people: three loadmasters and two flight engineers
The C-5 Galaxy's development was complicated, including significant cost overruns, and Lockheed suffered significant financial difficulties
Shortly after entering service, cracks in the wings of many aircraft were discovered
and the C-5 fleet was restricted in capability until corrective work was completed
The C-5M Super Galaxy is an upgraded version with new engines and modernized avionics designed to extend its service life beyond 2040
The USAF has operated the C-5 since 1969
In that time, the airlifter supported US military operations in all major conflicts including Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan
as well as allied support, such as Israel during the Yom Kippur War and operations in the Gulf War
The Galaxy has also distributed humanitarian aid, provided disaster relief, and supported the US space program