The C-5 is one of the largest aircraft in the world. It can carry outsize and oversize cargo intercontinental ranges and can take off or land in relatively short distances. Ground crews can load and off load the C-5 simultaneously at the front and rear cargo openings. Other features of the C-5 are:
- Able to take off fully loaded within 8,300 feet (2,530 meters) and land within 4,900 feet (1,493 meters).
- High flotation landing gear with 28 wheels sharing the weight.
- Nose and aft doors that open the full width and height of the cargo compartment to permit faster and easier loading.
- A "kneeling" landing gear system that permits lowering of the parked aircraft so the cargo floor is at truck-bed height or to facilitate vehicle loading and unloading.
- Full width drive-on ramps at each end for loading double rows of vehicles.
- A system that records and analyzes information and detects malfunctions in more than 800 test points.
The Galaxy has 12 internal wing tanks with a total capacity of 51,150 gallons (194,370 liters) of fuel -- enough to fill 6 1/2 regular size railroad tank cars. A full fuel load weighs 332,500 pounds (150,820 kilograms). A C-5 with a cargo load of 270,000 pounds (122,472 kilograms) can fly 2,150 nautical miles, offload, and fly to a second base 500 nautical miles away from the original destination -- all without aerial refueling. With aerial refueling, the aircraft's range is limited only by crew endurance.
Primary Function: Massive strategic airlift
Contractor: Lockheed-Georgia Co.
Crew: Six (pilot, copilot, two flight engineers, two loadmasters)
Unit Cost: C-5A - $152.8 million (FY98 constant dollars)
C-5B - $179 million (FY98 constant dollars)
Powerplant
Four General Electric TF39-GE-1C turbofan engines (43,000 pounds per engine (ATR))
Dimensions
Length: 247 feet, 10 inches
Wingspan: 222 feet, 9 inches
Height: 65 feet
Weights
Empty: 374,000 lb (169643 kg) -- C-5B
Maximum Takeoff: 769,000 pounds (348,818 kilograms) (C-5B peacetime),
840,000 pounds (381,024 kilograms) (C-5B wartime)
Performance
Speed: 518 mph (.77 Mach)
Ceiling: 35,750 ft (10895 m) at 615,000 lb (278960 kg)
Range: Unlimited with in-flight refueling
