Boeing C-17 GlobemasterIII unbuilt concepts

[McColm]

When the C-17 entered service it was to replace the C-141 Starlifter and C-130 . The C-141 was retired from service, but the C-130 keeps going.
Would the C-17 make a good AEW & C platform? I'm thinking along the lines of a replacement for the E-3Ds. As the USAF and France have recently updated theirs.

Then there is the maritime role. With the arrival of the Airbus A400M Atlas in September, these will start replacing the Herc from service. The MODUK has been researching the role for the Atlas as a Long Range Search & Rescue role. The Sentinals' fate is still in the balance for retirement or a refit.

They could be hired out to an airline for cargo or to carry passengers. The water bomber is another Whiff, so too is the sea plane versions.
Another Whiffer used its as a Shuttle carrier.
I think the C-17 would look great with skis, Artic or Antarctic resupply aircraft.
A stretched version could replace the C-5.
Then again if the wings could tilt, V/STOL!

[DarrenP]

AEW platform certainly
ELINT platform would be interesting
Tanker
commercial I'm sure Heavy lift air cargo companies would be interested.

[McColm]

It will be interesting to see what China does with its new large jet transporter.

[rickshaw]

The C-17 is too expensive to use for things other than as a transport aircraft.  In particular the wing structure is far too over-engineered for something like an AEW platform.  It was designed to be a STOL transport and that ability simply isn't needed and the economics are such that its cheaper to modify a (usually) airliner to that role than an aircraft like the C-17.

As it is, the C-17's STOL ability is rarely used by most of it's operators.  The aircraft is simply too expensive to risk flying into forward airstrips, which is why the Hercules soldiers on. 

[McColm]

A gunship would look good.
There are plans underway for the herc replacement,still in the design stage. This might be a great topic to Whiff.
Seems that the C-17 hasn't been Whiffed enough.

[McColm]

Boeing was hoping that an EC-17 airborne command post would be more economical and flexible than the E-6B TACAMO or the replacement of the E-8 J-STARS. Plans for a KC-17B model which uses probe-and-drogue refueling for the tactical mission carried out by the MC-130 Hercules. Even suggested for the YAL-1 airborne laser platform.

[kitnut617]

one thing to consider with all these ideas is the actual size of the C-17 ---

This is a pic comparing the C-130, A400M and only half of a C-17  (that's in 1/72 BTW)



The A400M is about the same size as an A310



So the C-17 is not a small aircraft, not in the C-5/747 class but still not a small aircraft.

[pyro-manic]

One might even go so far as to say it's a big aircraft.....

How about a future super-efficient version, with some huge turboprops or propfans?

[sandiego89]

The C-17 is too expensive to use for things other than as a transport aircraft.  In particular the wing structure is far too over-engineered for something like an AEW platform.  It was designed to be a STOL transport and that ability simply isn't needed and the economics are such that its cheaper to modify a (usually) airliner to that role than an aircraft like the C-17.

As it is, the C-17's STOL ability is rarely used by most of it's operators.  The aircraft is simply too expensive to risk flying into forward airstrips, which is why the Hercules soldiers on. 

Agree with rickshaw, as with all aircraft a design is a compromise to meet the requirements. The C-17 has some unique design features to meet the requirements to make it well suited for the transport role.  The design compromises for the C-17 are major:  Large cabin, thick wing with multiple high lift devices, 4 massive engines, etc that make it good for the transport role, but makes for an expensive, "fat" aircraft not ideal for AEW or tanking roles.  Flight efficiency is important for AEW and tankers.   Tankers and AEW platforms do better when derived from a airliner as they are much more efficient at high altitude cruise.

I think the natural replacements for the heavy E-3, KC-135, EC-135, RC-135, E-6 Mercury, E-8 JSTARS etc will be airliner derived over transport derived.   

I do not think the C-17 was intended to entirely replace the C-130 fleet.  The 1970's program to replace the C-130 led to the YC-15, but the later C-17 from which it was derived is much larger, and was really designed to replace the C-141 and augment the C-5.
 
So in WHIF could the C-17 be an ELINT, AEW or tanker- sure it could?  It would not just not be very efficient.

I think the most realistic C-17's WHIFs are civil transport, gunship, arctic etc.  Not AEW or ELINT.     

[PR19_Kit]

Qatari has one C-17 painted in a quasi-civvie scheme and it's used for normal freight duties, allegedly........

[kitnut617]

You can buy that scheme at Draw Decals, plus a bunch of other 'Flights of Fantasy' sheets

http://www.shopdrawdecal.com/searchresults.asp?cat=1835

[McColm]

Also available in the Revell 1/144  C-17 RAF kit.
Would look great in the US Coast Guard colour scheme or Presidential transport colours.

[Teddz]

I'm a model and prop builder and have been in the process of working on 2 of the 1/144 C-17 RAF Revell kits, bashing them up and turning it into a screen accurate Agents of SHIELD Bus with fiber optic lighting. While researching this, I did stumble across someone on this board that attempted a build of it, but it was modeled after a set of blueprints marvel made that are very different from the screen used aircraft. You can check out the build at The RPF http://www.therpf.com/f11/marvels-agents-shield-bus-197818/

As a "what if" it's a very strange & cool concept. I've already started to model it in X-Plane 9 to see if I can get it to fly in a simulated environment (if it works I'll consider a large scale RC build of it). The simulator is very accurate and with the addition of a $500 module, it's FAA approved for pilot training. The CGI model used in the show came from here: precise3dmodeling.com

First, there's 6 engines, 2 of which are in an area that will do nothing but suck in jet exhaust.. no bueno. But in the Marvel Universe, this is a working concept. Then we have the VTOL capability... Although cool, in the real world, this wouldn't happen. Or could it?? With advancements in materials technology, it's not that far fetched that they could have developed a super light and super strong material that allows for the VTOL capability and added reinforcements to the wings and fuselage to make it all work. I wonder what kind of forces the wings and pivots are seeing when the engines start to swing while in flight. Anyone know the math for that?

The longer I work on building the bus, the more the concept grows on me and the more I get to thinking about how to make it work. I gotta finish this build and move on or I'll get the itch to build another one like the anigrad 1/72 C-17 and detail the bajezus out of it with the lab, lighting, staircase, pivoting engines, lighting everywhere and Lola parked inside.

[PR19_Kit]

.....it's not that far fetched that they could have developed a super light and super strong material that allows for the VTOL capability and added reinforcements to the wings and fuselage to make it all work......

That'd be Unobtanium then, a staple material for Whiff modellers. 

[Teddz]

hahaha... I was thinking more along the lines of some advanced polymer carbon nano tubes or the recent development out of MIT, a nanomaterial that's very light and capable of withstanding 160,000 times its own weight. http://gizmodo.com/this-new-nanomaterial-can-withstand-forces-160-000-time-1595188234?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_facebook&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow