The C-141B began life through the YC-141B converted prototype airframe. The model reached flight for the first time on Mach 24th, 1977. After passing its requisite evaluation and acceptance phase, it resulted in 270 A-models being converted to the C-141B standard. The B-model incorporated a new 23 foot section of fuselage as well as an in-flight refueling boom above and aft of the cockpit (to extend its base range). Conversions took place between 1977 and 1982 and initial groups were handed the type in late-1979. The airframe could now carry 200 infantry, 170 airborne personnel or 100 patient litters though, by this time, the Vietnam War was over. Thirteen C-141B models were further converted for Special Forces service in 1994 by including advanced countermeasures systems, retractable FLIR pod and mission support equipment intended to allow for low-altitude, low-light level flying consistent with Special Forces missions.
The C-141B featured an operating crew of five to seven specialists made up of two pilots, a pair of flight engineers, a navigation and a loadmaster (with optional assistant/secondary loadmaster). Additional support staff could be carried based on mission type - for example those ferrying wounded, a medical support staff numbering at least five would be used. The airframe exhibited a running length of 168 feet with a wingspan of 160 feet and a height of 39 feet. Empty weight was 144,500lbs with a maximum take-off weight of 342,100lbs. Power was served through 4 x Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-7 series turbofan engines outputting at 20,250lbs each. Maximum listed speed was 567 miles per hour with a ferry range out to 6,140 miles. Combat range was approximately 3,000 miles. The aircraft could reach ceilings of 41,000 feet with a 2,600 feet per minute rate-of-climb. As a transport, the C-141B was not armed in any way.
The final Starlifter variant was embodied through the C-141C mark which were modernizations of existing airframes. These numbered 63 examples in all and included modern avionics and increased use of electric-based systems. The old "steam" style gauges of decades before gave way to digital screens and a more organized, compact instrument panel. Conversions occurred in the 1990s and headed by Raytheon.
Starlifters further served in Operation Desert Shield (1990) and into Operation Desert Storm of the first Persian Gulf War (1991). In 1992, Starlifters were placed under Air Mobility Command (AMC) direction. By 2001, the average age of the Starlifter fleet was 34 years, prompting a move to an all-new design. The line was followed by the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III detailed elsewhere on this site. Active numbers began considerable reduction from 2004 inwards until final missions in 2005 and 2006 ended their support. These aircraft served the American commitment to Operation Enduring Freedom (2001) in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq (2003) - and amazing testament to design considering the aircraft's 1960's Cold War-era roots.
Hanoi Taxi was preserved as a museum showpiece at the National Museum of the United States Air Force of Dayton, Ohio. The airframe is joined by several others around the country - many representing B-model variants. A sole C-141 transport of MAC was used to ferry the bodies of the seven astronauts killed in the failed 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger launch.
During its service life, the C-141 also completed a "first" by becoming the first jet-powered transport to land in Antarctica. It also served as the first jet-powered transport for US Army paratroopers.
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