LOCKHEED C141 B STARLIFTER

The Lockheed C 141 Starlifter was a four-engine, high-wing, long-range, American-made high-wing transport aircraft. The drive was provided by four Pratt and Whitney TF33-P-7 turbofan engines. The flight of the prototype took place in 1963, and serial production continued in 1965-1968. About 285 copies of this aircraft were produced. By May 2006, all aircraft of this type were withdrawn from service in USAAF units. The roots of the C 141 are related to a competition announced by the USAAF for a new transport aircraft capable of carrying a payload of 27,000 kg over a distance of 6,500 km without a stopover. Lockheed's unusual project more than met these conditions, and the Vietnam War, which started in 1964/1965, accelerated the competition and the rapid initiation of serial production. Three variants of the C 141 were produced in the course of serial production. The first of them (C 141A) was the basic version produced on a large scale. The second (C 141B) was created as a result of the modernization of the "A" version by extending the hull by about 7 meters.