Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

1963


TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT	Virtual Aircraft Museum / USA / Lockheed

The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter is a military strategic airlifter in service with the United States Air Force. Introduced to replace slower piston-engined cargo planes such as the C-124 Globemaster II, the C-141 was designed to a 1960 requirement and first flew in 1963; production deliveries of an eventual 248 began in 1965, and the aircraft is still in service almost 40 years later, although the USAF plans to withdraw the C-141 from service in 2006 when sufficient C-17 Globemaster III aircraft are available.

The original Starlifter model, the C-141A, could carry 138 passengers, 80 litters for wounded, or ten standard 463L pallets with a total of 62,700 pounds (28,900 kg) of cargo. The C-141 could also carry a Minuteman missile. It was soon discovered that the aircraft's volume capacity was relatively low in comparison to its lifting capacity; it generally ran out of physical space long before it hit its weight limit.

To correct this and use the C-141 to the fullest, the whole fleet of aircraft were stretched, producing the C-141B. Additional 'plug' sections were added before and after the wings, lengthening the fuselage by 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m) and allowing the carriage of 103 litters for wounded, 13 standard pallets, 205 troops, 168 paratroopers, or an equivalent increase in other loads. Also added at this time was a boom receptacle for inflight refueling. The conversion program took place between 1977 and 1982. It was estimated that this stretching program was the equivalent of buying 90 new aircraft, in terms of increased capacity.

More recently, 63 aircraft have been upgraded to C-141C status, with improved avionics and navigation systems, to keep them up-to-date until C-17s are available to replace them.

In 1994, thirteen C-141Bs were given SOLL II (Special Operations Low-Level II) modifications, which gave the aircraft a low-level night flying capability, enhanced navigation equipment, and improved defensive countermeasures. The USAF operates these aircraft for the Air Force Special Operations Command. These aircraft are slated to be replaced by special-purpose new-build C-17s.

On 16 September 2004 the C-141 left service with active duty USAF units, being confined to reserve units for the remainder of its service life. As of September 25th, 2005, there are only 8 C-141 aircraft still flying (All from Wright-Patterson AFB) near Dayton, Ohio. One of them is the same aircraft that was used at the end of the Vietnam War to repatriate American POWs from North Vietnam, and will soon be moved to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, also at WPAFB.

Specification

CREW	4
PASSENGERS	154
ENGINE	4 x turbo-jet P+W TF-33-P-7, 93.5kN
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight	143610 kg	316608 lb
Empty weight	61898 kg	136462 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan	48.7 m	160 ft 9 in
Length	44.2 m	145 ft 0 in
Height	12.0 m	39 ft 4 in
Wing area	299.8 m²	3227.02 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed	920 km/h	572 mph
Cruise speed	885 km/h	550 mph
Ceiling	12500 m	41000 ft
Range w/max.fuel	11400 km	7084 miles
Range w/max payload	6440 km	4002 miles

Comments

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thomas, e-mail, 08.02.2011 23:59

trying to find models of c-141a /b.flew them.

Jim Johnson, e-mail, 07.02.2011 01:38

141's at Travis were my first assignment out of pilot training in 1968, and moved to 130's just as my upgrade to AC was coming up. Lost an engine once enroute from Wake to Guam. Had to make a no-flap at Thule in Greenland, and it took all but the last 20 feet to stop, precisely what the Dash-1 had estimated for the conditions. Great bird. Office with a view! Worked as advertised. Great crews!

Bob Brown, e-mail, 26.01.2011 03:21

I was a loadmaster at Charleston from 1975-82 during many difficult flying surges. I was constantly amazed how much abuse the aircraft could take and continue to complete the mission. Great aircraft, we who flew on it will miss it dearly. Really hurts to see the videos of it being chopped up in the bone yard.

Roger Wendorff, e-mail, 17.01.2011 06:03

As a FE on the c141a 3d mas 41st mas 86th mas I ended up with 7000 hr on the great bird,,,, never sat in the seat of a b model,, made two round the world trips, spent a week in South America just showing the flag .... also got my monthly trips to nam...... The most fun I ever had was a test flight emergency decent from 41000 feet.you got to try it to believe it?????

Ed Hattenberger, e-mail, 31.12.2010 03:30

I was an Assistant Crew Chief and then Crew Chief on the 141's with the 63rd OMS at Norton from 1968 to 1972. My two birds were first 66-7949 and then 66-0183. In 1970, 949 got caught in the Clark to Vietnam shuttle. It flew everyday for 14 days and averaged 20 hours in the air per day. It set the record for the most hours flown in a month by a "non-lead the force" 141. When it got back to home station there were only a couple minor write-ups and we sent it out again the next day for another 5 days. I was recognized by the Wing Comander and was named Maintenance Man of the month for the Wing. I went on to work on B-52's and had a limited experience with the B-1B as well as the 141's. The 141 was by far the best to work on. There is a web site that lists all the 141's ever made and their history by tail number. It lists 66-7949 as having 40,539 hours and 66-0183 having 42,665 hours.

Gerry Ahronheim, e-mail, 30.12.2010 06:27

Unless my memory is tricking me, the C141 flew the "Embassy Flights" during the Viet Nam era: one bird flying east, another west, around the globe in opposite directions. I hitched rides back from TDY in S.Korea in 1968, stopping in Bangkok, New Delhi, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia), Madrid, and McGuire AFB (NJ). It was a very impressive ride for this mere passensger, very businesslike (not Business Class!), facing backwards all the way!

Don Beierwaltes, e-mail, 26.12.2010 03:47

In the summer of 1976 I picked up the pieces of 70008 in a sugar beet field in northern England after it broke up in flight. A very sad time, and worked instruments and more at 608 MASS, Ramstein AB GE Jan 78-Jan 82. Another great aircraft sits in the boneyard. I hate to sit that fate of such a workhorse!

John Reynolds, e-mail, 15.12.2010 13:05

The actual crew compliment was between 5 to 7 (2 pilots, 2 flight engineers, 1 to 2 load masters, and 1 navigator), at a minimum it had 2 pilots and 2 flight engineers. Sad to say there are no more flying 141's and those that were not cut up are now static displays. What a great plane and some of the best crews in the world...

MIKE VANDROVEC, e-mail, 13.12.2010 23:24

DID ANYONE EVER MAKE DIRECT FLIGHT FROM VIETNAM TO HICKAM AFB, HAWAII??

Kurt, e-mail, 06.12.2010 14:29

I knew the Lockheed aircraft like the back of my hand as I served as a Crew Chief for about 9 years on this one of kind work horse. Watched them go from A to B models. These babies accomplished a variety of missions over the years. I'll never forget running the huge turbofan for electrical shop and jumped chocks at McGuire as I tossed #2 and #4 engines up to full throttle without brakes back in 79. Oops! That morning my boss said your not going home ...your going to jet engine training for certification. Loved having my name proudly displayed on the crew entrance door.

Jim Zondlo, e-mail, 21.11.2010 01:55

My one and only flight on a C-141 was with my 823 rd Red Hourse group going to Bien Hoa, September 1969. Sure was a good flight flying backwords for the many hours. We even had to stay at Elmendorfe over night as a window had to be replaced on the plane.
Good times were had by all.

Jim Zondlo, e-mail, 21.11.2010 01:54

Barbara E.Johnson, e-mail, 12.11.2010 07:34

I was a USAF Flight Nurse on this aircraft and met my husband,the Aircraft Commander on one of my Clark-Guam-Hickam missions in 1968. I practically lived on this wonderful aircraft...many memories of the numerous flights with my husband.

TROY FORE CMSgt Ret., e-mail, 09.11.2010 02:34

I was a Flight Engineer on the C-141A&B models from 1969 to 1986,Stationed at Norton A.F.B.,Ca. 14TH.Squadron 1969 to 1977, Altus A.F.B. Ok. 57TH Squadron 1977 to 1980 also 1ST. Sergeant, Travis A.F.B.,Ca. 1980 to 1986 when I retired as Chief Flight Engineer 60 MAW. The C-141 was a fantastic aircraft and the work horse of it`s time, I have many memories of the aircraft and crew members I flew with.

Bob Pustell, 01.11.2010 04:32

My first assignment out of Pilot Training was as a "141 Driver" in the 15th MAS, Norton AFB. There were no B models, it was just the 141, the droopy winged bug sucker. What a fabulous airplane! By the time I went to my next assignment five years later, I had moved up to Flight Examiner, Select Lead for Airdrop, had been a simulator instructor and ground school instuctor and had thousands of hours of wonderful experience and memories to last a lifetime. Most of the memories are good, some still give me goosbumps. If there was a crisis, a natural disaster, a war, a relief effort, an evacuation to be done anywhere in the world, the 141 was there. I would not have missed it for the world. Now Norton is no longer an Air Force Base, the 141 is retired and so am I. What a ride!

Chuck Galbach, e-mail, 30.10.2010 15:52

I flew the 141 at Travis & Dover (Vietnam FAC tour in between those locations) in the mid-late 60's. Great airplane. Many trips to SEA and later, Europe & Middle East as well. Someone mentioned the AWL's system. I hated the auto throttles on AWL's when I was checking out in it in hot, bumpy weather. They would spool the engines down way lower than I would have. We used to routinely beat the 707's to altitude - but they were faster and would eventually pass us by. I saw the one that had the rear pressure door blow out at Wake, the day after it happened. I recalled seeing that door bulge lots of times at altitude and never went near one again in flight. When I flew it at Travis, we were still picking up new ones from Lockheed & I flew on 3 or 4 of those pickups. Twenty years later, I picked up a brand new C-130H from Lockheed from the very same place (Dobbins) - for a Reserve unit. Nobody but me cares, but it was a neat personal thing to do. We didn't call the 141's the A model - it was the only model when I flew it.

Bob Stackhouse, e-mail, 27.10.2010 03:32

I was a Flight Engineer Instructor , Flight Examiner when I retired in 1974 from the 53rd MAS at Norton AFB, CA. Actually I was also in the 14th,&15th MAS' as we formed the New 63rd Wing in 1967. Coming out of C-124s with about 10,000hrs and going into the C-141 it was like going from a Model A to a Cadillac. Seven years of flying in and out of Vietnam every month with every kind of emergency you could name, three engine take-offs out of Danang, around the world trips with the 22nd Air Force Commander, Bob Hope USO trips, maximum range 8000 mile flights from Kadena to San Bernardino, CA, this airplane did it all. I picked up several new aircraft as our new Wing formed in 1967 and among them was 60177 which as we all know now as "The Hanoi Taxi" the first aircraft to pick up our POWs in Hanoi. 177 is in the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB now. It was a historic trip for our combined Squadrons. I ended my 23 year career in September 1974 with 16000 plus hrs with 6000 plus hrs in the C-141. I am 76 years old now but I would do it all over again if they asked me!!

Alfred Martinez Sr, e-mail, 19.10.2010 21:11

Best Aircraft I ever jumped out of.

Sam Myers, e-mail, 14.09.2010 18:30

I was a flight examiner flight engineer in the 41st MAS at Charleston when I retired in 1972. My career on the C-141 began in 1966. I always enjoyed the trip around the world. It averaged 55 flying hours and a few 18 hour days. I had very few inflight emergencies in all my time on the C-141. What an airplane!!

Boone Barnes, e-mail, 08.08.2010 22:57

I was a navigator in the 20th MAS at Charleston from 1976 until 1985 (Initial Soll II). From 1985 until 1988 was the command tactics navigator at Hq MAC and worked on C-17 acquisition and SOLL II enhancements for the Starlifter. A great airplane. Currently working with a great bunch of guys restoring 60186 (first B model) at the aviation museum in Marietta, GA. Anyone in the Atlanta area who wants to help is welcome. Just show up any morning. Museum is off Atlanta Road Just off Delk Road. Can't miss it. It's where all the old aircraft are parked.

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