UK C-17 Globemaster III
The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF) flies six C-17 aircraft as part of the UK’s strategic air bridge to British Armed Forces in Afghanistan, a theatre of operation that is landlocked and surrounded by inhospitable terrain. The UK C-17’s role as strategic air transport is complemented by its contribution to humanitarian efforts such as tsunami relief in Southeast Asia and the earthquake rescue in Pakistan. 
In December 2009, the Ministry of Defence announced the acquisition of a 7th C-17 to the RAF fleet of six. The first four UK C-17 aircraft were delivered in 2001 through a lease contract of which the UK Ministry of Defence exercised its option-to-buy in 2006. Two additional aircraft, UK5 and UK6 were delivered directly to the RAF in April and June of 2008. The seventh is expected to be delivered in December 2010.
In total, the UK’s C-17 fleet has flown more than 50,000 hours since its introduction. As part of the worldwide fleet of C-17 aircraft, the UK participates in the C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership (GSP) logistics support programme with the primary goals of mission readiness and minimized life cycle costs for operations and support.
The Boeing C-17 Field Services Team located at RAF Brize Norton just west of Oxford, is on-call 24/7 as part of the UK C-17 GSP contract with the UK Ministry of Defence. They provide engineering, supply chain management and support, maintenance of essential support equipment, along with configuration and data services.
UK C-17 Description & Purpose:
Structurally designed for a lifetime of operations in severe tactical environments, the C-17 can accomplish frequent low-altitude and high-speed missions plus repeated landings at small, austere airfields. A high-wing, four-engine, T-tailed aircraft with a rear-loading ramp, the C-17 can carry large combat equipment and troops or humanitarian aid across international distances anywhere in the world
With a payload of 160,000 pounds, the C-17 can take off from a 7,600-foot airfield, fly 2,400 nautical miles, and land on a small, austere airfield in 3,000 feet or less. The C-17 is equipped with an externally blown flap system that allows a steep, low-speed final approach and low-landing speeds for routine short-field landings. Tanks are inerted with nitrogen from onboard inert gas generating system (OBIGGS) as part of the aircraft’s protection systems which ensure the safety of PAX travel in theatre.
General Characteristics:
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Length:
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174 feet (53.04 m)
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Height at Tail:
Wing Span to Wingtips:
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55.1 feet (16.79 m)
169.8 feet (51.74 m)
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Maximum Payload:
At 4,000 nautical miles:
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164,900 lbs. (74,797 kg)
100,300 lbs. (45,495 kg)
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Range with Payload:
160,000 pounds:
40,000 pounds (paratroop):
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2,420 nautical miles
5,610 nautical miles
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Cruise Speed:
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0.74 – 0.77 Mach
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Takeoff Field Length (Max Gross Weight):
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7,740 ft. (2,359.15 m)
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Landing Field Length:
160,000 lbs of Cargo:
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3,000 ft. (914.40 m)
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A cockpit crew of two and one loadmaster operates the C-17. This cost-effective flight crew complement is made possible through the use of an advanced digital avionics system and advanced cargo systems. In the cargo compartment the C-17 can carry military wheeled vehicles in two side-by-side rows.
The four engines are Pratt & Whitney PW2040 series turbofans, each produce 40,440 pounds of thrust. The engines are equipped with directed-flow thrust reversers capable of deployment in flight. On the ground, a fully loaded aircraft, using engine reversers, can back up a two-percent slope.
Background:
Since first flight in 1991, the worldwide C-17 fleet has amassed more than 1.5 million flying hours. There are currently 212 C-17s in service worldwide - 19 with international customers. The U.S. Air Force, including active Guard and Reserve units, has 193. International customers include Qatar, the UK Royal Air Force, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations. In January 2010, the United Arab Emirates announced the acquisition of six C-17s to add to its fleet.
The C-17 is capable of air-to-air refueling and has a paratrooper/container delivery system. It has set 33 world records – more than any other airlifter in history – including tactical payload to altitude, time-to-climb, and short-takeoff-and-landing marks in which the C-17 took off in less than 1,400 feet, carried a payload of 44,000 pounds to altitude, and landed in less than 1,400 feet.
