U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-141A Starlifter

Additional Information:

The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter is a retired military strategic airlifter that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) Military Air Transport Service (MATS) and its successor organizations the Military Airlift Command (MAC), and finally the Air Mobility Command (AMC). Introduced by Lockheed to replace the slower propeller driven cargo planes such as the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II and the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster, the C-141 was designed to meet requirements set in 1960 and the first model flew in 1963.

The first delivery of a production C-141 occurred during April of 1965 and the production of newly built C-141s were terminated in February of 1968. By the end of the production run, 285 planes were delivered with 284 acquired by the USAF and a single company demonstrator was later delivered to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for use as an airborne observatory. The C-141 aircraft remained in service for over 40 years until the USAF withdrew the last one from service in 2006 after it was replaced by the C-17 Globemaster

The original Starlifter model, designated C-141A, could carry 154 passengers, 123 paratroopers or 80 litters for wounded with seating for 16. After the C-141A entered service in April 1965 it was soon discovered that the aircraft’s volume capacity was relatively low in comparison to its lifting capacity. The C-141A could carry ten standard 463L master pallets and had a total cargo capacity of 62,700 pounds. It could also carry specialized cargo such as vehicles and the Minuteman missile.

The 437th Airlift Wing (437 AW) is an active unit of the United States Air Force and is assigned to the 18th Air Force, Air Mobility Command at Charleston Air Force Base, Joint Base Charleston, in the City of North Charleston, South Carolina. The Lockheed C-141 was one the Air Forces larger transports that flew troops and cargo around the world. Many Starlifer’s although not stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, were used by the 437th Military Air Wing beginning in 1966 to make frequent visits to supply Kirtland and Sandia Base operations. In addition in 1975, the C-141 came to Kirtland AFB for special electronics and laser equipment testing. The C-141’s documented during these tests include aircraft numbers 50228 and 13601.

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