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Old 09-23-2007, 11:10 PM   #1
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Default C-5M Super Galaxy

Hows that program going?? Havent heard much about it at all...last I heard, it had just done its first flight, and that was this past spring.

BTW..it would be pretty sweet to see Dragon do this new version of the C-5!
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Old 09-24-2007, 12:10 AM   #2
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

Actually, all the pics I've seen of the C-5M only show a difference in the engines...they use the same engines that're used in the VC-25. Other than that, outwardly, the C-5M looks about the same as the C-5B. Most of the upgrades were in avionics, structural support, re-skinning and the engines.
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Old 09-24-2007, 06:47 PM   #3
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

It's looking more and more like the plan isn't going to happen. The C-5 has a horrible mission capable rate that is around 50%. Instead the Air Force would like to retire the oldest C-5s and replace them with about 30 additional C-17's. While the C-17 can carry half the payload it is available almost twice as much.
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Old 09-24-2007, 07:21 PM   #4
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

so what entails "mission capable"? does it mean reliability?
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Old 09-24-2007, 07:45 PM   #5
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

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Originally Posted by champpitbull2 View Post
It's looking more and more like the plan isn't going to happen. The C-5 has a horrible mission capable rate that is around 50%. Instead the Air Force would like to retire the oldest C-5s and replace them with about 30 additional C-17's. While the C-17 can carry half the payload it is available almost twice as much.
The other nice thing about the C-17 is the automated palletization system, the fact it can take off and land on unpaved or short runways, and it's faster and more manueverable. It's really a better plane for the new missions the military is planning. The C-5 is good for large loads well behind the lines, the C-17 is a front-line capable aircraft, like the C-130.
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Old 09-24-2007, 07:46 PM   #6
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

well I know reliability was/still is a huge issue. I grew up in Dover, and my grandpa and my uncle were FEs on the C-5 there, and that was all you would hear about. Planes were constantly broke, not being able to fly the missions, breaking when theyre overseas.
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Old 09-24-2007, 07:59 PM   #7
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

While I was stationed at Altus AFB in the 80's, we had a "hanger queen" C-5 that never went anywhere the whole year I was there. We had a tornado that year that severely damaged two others. The twister lifted both planes off the ground and rammed them into each other, damaged the wingtip of one and right under the cockpit of the other. Pretty impressive display of tornado abilities (not to mention pretty much trashing most of the base).
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:50 PM   #8
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

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so what entails "mission capable"? does it mean reliability?
Yes. It means that the C-5 is capable of performing it's mission around only 50% of the time. The rest of the time the thing is broke. Beyond being so massive it has many complex systems that break often.

The C-17 is a very immpressive plane to watch no matter what it is doing. It's only downfall is that it sucks a lot of gas. Everything else is awesome.

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Old 09-24-2007, 10:59 PM   #9
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

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While I was stationed at Altus AFB in the 80's, we had a "hanger queen" C-5 that never went anywhere the whole year I was there. We had a tornado that year that severely damaged two others. The twister lifted both planes off the ground and rammed them into each other, damaged the wingtip of one and right under the cockpit of the other. Pretty impressive display of tornado abilities (not to mention pretty much trashing most of the base).
I'm pretty sure I read about that one. I've never seen a tornado although I'd like to see one from a distance.
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Old 09-24-2007, 11:17 PM   #10
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

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The other nice thing about the C-17 is the automated palletization system, the fact it can take off and land on unpaved or short runways, and it's faster and more manueverable. It's really a better plane for the new missions the military is planning. The C-5 is good for large loads well behind the lines, the C-17 is a front-line capable aircraft, like the C-130.
Thanks I needed a good laugh....
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Old 09-25-2007, 09:24 PM   #11
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Thanks I needed a good laugh....
Laugh about what?

In this weeks Air Force times it said that A model C-5's are @ a 49% mission capable rate while the B models are @ 66%. The C-5M upgrade is projected to bring the B's up to a 75% rate. The project has now risen 15% from the original cost which now requires it to be reported to Congress by law. The AF Chief of Staff was qouted as saying he would like to get rid of 20-30 C-5's and replace them with C-17's. The upgrade is supposed to run 83 million a plane. That doesn't bode well for a plane that is over 30 years old and will only improve the MC rate by about 10%. It also said that two C-5M's have been completed with another one set to join them in December.
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Old 09-25-2007, 09:38 PM   #12
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Thanks I needed a good laugh....
So do I. Let me in on the joke.
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Old 09-25-2007, 10:35 PM   #13
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

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Laugh about what?

In this weeks Air Force times it said that A model C-5's are @ a 49% mission capable rate while the B models are @ 66%. The C-5M upgrade is projected to bring the B's up to a 75% rate. The project has now risen 15% from the original cost which now requires it to be reported to Congress by law. The AF Chief of Staff was qouted as saying he would like to get rid of 20-30 C-5's and replace them with C-17's. The upgrade is supposed to run 83 million a plane. That doesn't bode well for a plane that is over 30 years old and will only improve the MC rate by about 10%. It also said that two C-5M's have been completed with another one set to join them in December.
(edit, my laughing wasn't aimed at the C-5 in any way)

Why do you think they are placing C-17s in Alaska and in Hawaii?
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Old 09-25-2007, 11:07 PM   #14
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

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Originally Posted by champpitbull2 View Post
The Chief of Staff was qouted as saying he would like to get rid of 20-30 C-5's and replace them with C-17's. The upgrade is supposed to run 83 million a plane. That doesn't bode well for a plane that is over 30 years old and will only improve the MC rate by about 10%. It also said that two C-5M's have been completed with another one set to join them in December.
Sucks when the upgrade costs more than the plane did when it was new. Maybe if they get rid of them, they might sell them to the civilian sector, like they did with the C-141.... (This is a joke, BTW)
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Old 09-26-2007, 05:47 PM   #15
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

Maybe they should just retire all the oldest, worst MC rated C-5s, and keep the youngest B Models (Some which are not that much older than I am). Then for every A Model C-5 they retire, the Air Force should replace them with 2 C-17s...


or is this what they are already doing?
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Old 09-26-2007, 06:48 PM   #16
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Maybe they should just retire all the oldest, worst MC rated C-5s, and keep the youngest B Models (Some which are not that much older than I am). Then for every A Model C-5 they retire, the Air Force should replace them with 2 C-17s...


or is this what they are already doing?
That is exactly what they are discussing, except some B-models are being mentioned too. General Moseley said it is between 20-30 planes. I think they only plan on replacing them one for one though.
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Old 09-27-2007, 08:15 PM   #17
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

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That is exactly what they are discussing, except some B-models are being mentioned too. General Moseley said it is between 20-30 planes. I think they only plan on replacing them one for one though.

Oh ok. But if they replace them one for one, that means that AMC would be at a smaller cargo capacity fleet, right? Or would the amount of C-17s already in service along with the future deliveries make up for the loss of C-5s?
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Old 09-27-2007, 09:33 PM   #18
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

It would replace them because they are only available between 66% for the B's and 49% for the A's. I don't have the C-17's #'s but I know they are over 90%. They would need to add more than a 1 for 1 trade off to equal what they have now. I was told the other day by the top enlisted flyer in the ANG that the C-17 is becoming the Guards highest priority in regards to airlift. In addition the new tanker is supposed to be a more active participant in the airlift mission. Who know's, the Air Force F's up projected results all the time. They are always twisting numbers and coming up with schemes to increase their budget and the amount of planes they can recieve.
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Old 09-27-2007, 09:37 PM   #19
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

As of right now, there are 111 C-5's of all series in the AF. 20-30 aircraft being retired puts a big dent in that number, so if the AF plans to replace them one-for-one with C-17's, I hope there's a lot more C-17's being planned altogether to make up for that heavy-lift shortfall. Of course, there's always talk of making the military "leaner, faster, more technologically superior" than any possible enemy... The Soviet Union apparently didn't teach us that numbers can make up for lack of sophistication, since they once outnumbered us in equipment 5-to-1, and even if one of our aircraft or tanks was equal to three of theirs, they had two to spare.
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Old 09-29-2007, 09:48 AM   #20
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Does the USAF still operate C-141s? Or have they been retired? If so, when?
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Old 09-29-2007, 09:52 AM   #21
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Does the USAF still operate C-141s? Or have they been retired? If so, when?
May 2006 they were retired...

Sad to see the T-tailed lizard go.
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Old 09-29-2007, 11:07 AM   #22
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May 2006 they were retired...

Sad to see the T-tailed lizard go.
Had many a ride in those beasts, including an Eagle flight around the world. There still is some speculation as to what may become of these planes...many have been recycled, but the rest may be put into inactive storage for emergency recall...but after 10 years, usually they just cut them up, especially if they start storing C-5's. Damn shame...
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Old 10-12-2007, 03:44 PM   #23
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Default Re: C-5M Super Galaxy

Just up the road from me, the West Va. ANG is doing an upgrade to their facility to accomdate C-5s, the 167th TAG based in Martinsburg WV.

For years they have flown C-130s, but got the news 3-4 years ago that a change would be made. New hangers, longer runway among other things. Not sure when they are going into service, but much is going on at the airport.

I figure one day when I look up to see an airplane flying and it blots out the sun, I'll know they are airborne.
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