C-17 Globemaster III

[Gary]

Platform for a chemical laser weapons system for taking out missles, enemy aircraft and heating the pool at the officer's club at Ellis. Internal gizmos but a nicely formed fairing from the tail forward to jst above the cockpit. That way too, during combat operations, the pilots could put some of those horrible redskinned hot dogs on a stick and poke them up in th epath of the death ray to cook them.



Hey, how about the new Oscar Meyer Weiner mobile! They could airdrop bologna from 20,000 feet. Would that be considered crimes against humanity?

personally I prefer free range bologna.

Coast Guard! That sucker could go to the scene of a sinking oil tanker and drop another oil tanker! Or better, drop rescue boats and oil container booms and such!

Ok, lets face it, I'm not much good at thinking military.

[Mossie]

How about the C-17 was first built in the 1970s, and iran got hold of some, and still operate them today?
Or Flying Tiger Line?

Hmmm, going retro with the C-17 is a damn good idea.  The YC-15 first flew in 1975, but nothing came of it until the C-17 flew again in 1991.  You've got a period of about 12 years or so earlier when the C-17 (or C-15) could have entered service.  Maybe re-engine it with some from a 1/144 airliner kit but I think you could get away without doing it.  Keeps the timeline open for a number of liveries.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I wonder when the USAF will introduce the MC-17 SOLL (Special Operations Low-Level) to replace the MC-141 SOLL aircraft that have been retired?

Jeffry, for sake of officialdom, they were never called MC-141s.........

I know that.  However it sounds so much more interesting and face it, the C-141 SOLL should have been given the "MC" designation due to the nature of the modifications and the missions that were performed.  It is possible that the USAF refrained from adding the "M" to the C-141 because of the global mission performed by the C-141 and the potential political issues that could be encountered by identifying it as an "MC" type of special mission aircraft.  So here in WHIF land we can call it an MC-141 and get away with it.

OK......

Remember the movie "Wag The Dog?"  The USAF can state emphhatically to the media and the public that there is no MC-141 or MC-17 but we know otherwise...

[B777LR]

How about the C-17 was first built in the 1970s, and iran got hold of some, and still operate them today?
Or Flying Tiger Line?

Hmmm, going retro with the C-17 is a damn good idea.  The YC-15 first flew in 1975, but nothing came of it until the C-17 flew again in 1991.  You've got a period of about 12 years or so earlier when the C-17 (or C-15) could have entered service.  Maybe re-engine it with some from a 1/144 airliner kit but I think you could get away without doing it.  Keeps the timeline open for a number of liveries.

Was just looking on Anigrands page on the 1/144 C-17, and noticed that it comes with 3 bonus british jets! Makes you think...
http://www.anigrand.com/AA4004_C-17_RAF.htm
Painted like this:
http://www.cloud9photography.us/nonus/NONU...haelGroveSr.jpg

And the meteor getting full bubble canopy, blanked off guns, and extended wingspan! This makes a fine recce plane!

Vampire with afterburner, radar nose (like aeroplane drivers hunter),wingtip sidewinders, amraams and full bubble canopy!

[red arrow jag]

HeavyLift?

Or if you're feeling adventurous, how about a bomber version? 

Heavy lift..what a great idea...I used to see the Belfast at Stansted when I was younger

[nev]

Scouring an old WAPJ looking for something else, I found that the C-17 was one of the contenders for the JASDF's competition for 4 multi-role tanker-transports, which the B767 won (A330 and C-130J also contenders).

Guess I know what I'm doing with the Revell C-17 now

[Spey_Phantom]

i remember in Ace Combat 3, there was a futuristic enhancement on the C-17A, wtch turned out to be 2 new aircraft.

-C-17B: upgraded C-17A with new engine configuration
-KE-17B: Tanker version of the C-17B

both versions had the engine configuration similar to the Boeing YC-14 

[GTX]

Or..after witnesing the stunning success of the Antonov An-70 (especially after it was selected by Germany), the C-17B is rolled out with massive propfans instead of the previous turbofans?

Regards,

Greg

[nev]

Browsing the internet for something else, I discovered that Boeing have slotted in another 2 C-17s into their production schedule for an as yet unnanounced (and unconfirmed) export order, in anticipation of the order becoming official.

Speculation on who is the mystery customer includes -

RAF (another 2)
Norway (did they order 130Js yet?)
Holland (to support global ops)
Sweden (active UN, supported by pacifist groups as well to help with disaster relief)
India (but already have Il-76s)
Singapore (looking for a more global role)
Japan (ditto)

[Hobbes]

A Dutch order is unlikely, there's no way ~$500M can be found in the current budget.

[uk 75]

This is really silly, but you might find it fun. Matchbox have just issued a crude model of a Globemaster aircraft in their toy range coloured in yellow and red DHL livery which looks rather smooth.

UK 75

[Jeffry Fontaine]

i remember in Ace Combat 3, there was a futuristic enhancement on the C-17A, wtch turned out to be 2 new aircraft.
-C-17B: upgraded C-17A with new engine configuration
-KE-17B: Tanker version of the C-17B

I would imagine that a stretched C-17 would be practical.  With fuselage plugs inserted fore and aft of the wings, similar to what was done to create the C-141B. 

The KC-17 would be a logical approach to take if Boeing/MDD was smart enough to offer that to the DoD.  Perhaps the recent decision to acquire a new tanker would have been awarded to Boeing instead of Airbus.  The probe/drogue system would be rather easy to integrate into the airframe.  Perhaps the boom receptacle system could incorporate a separate door and ramp that would be interchangeable with the standard ramp and door to allow the aircraft to serve as a cargo and tanker aircraft.  The fuel would be accomodated in standard ISO bulk liquid containers on the cargo deck with the necessary fuel transfer plumbing and a pair of hose/drogue units mounted under the wings for fuel transfer.  Should be a simple enough exercise for the Boeing/MDD engineers to sort out.

[jcf]

Just for fun here is a link to the airport planning brochure for the BC-17/C-17A:
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/airports/acaps/bc17-c17a-brochure.pdf







The BC-17X concept started life as the pre-merger MD-17 proposal.


Jon

[Martin H]

Browsing the internet for something else, I discovered that Boeing have slotted in another 2 C-17s into their production schedule for an as yet unnanounced (and unconfirmed) export order, in anticipation of the order becoming official.

Speculation on who is the mystery customer includes -

RAF (another 2)
Norway (did they order 130Js yet?)
Holland (to support global ops)
Sweden (active UN, supported by pacifist groups as well to help with disaster relief)
India (but already have Il-76s)
Singapore (looking for a more global role)
Japan (ditto)

Its known that the RAF wants a fleet of 11 airframes. But to allow for the defence buget, they are only ordering them in ones and twos at a time. Six down five to go.
Another posible customer is NATO. The idea has been put forward of a NATO heavy transport force operating on the same lines as the AWACS fleet. Not such a bad idea either

[Hobbes]

Yes, but didn't NATO just lease 6 An-124s?