C-5M updates

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/04/airforce_c5m_dover_042909/

Lt. Col. Tom Loper, chief of the C-5M program office at Dover’s 436th Airlift Wing, recalls the first time he flew a C-5M.

”You get pushed into the seat. For a C-5, that’s different,” said Loper, one of the first operational pilots to fly the gigantic transport made by Lockheed Martin. “I don’t think you could have washed the smiles off our faces.”

. . .

Along with losing the whine, the new CF6 engines are quieter. The old engines were noisy enough to limit when and where C-5s could land, especially in Europe.

. . .

The estimated fuel savings should allow a C-5M with cargo leaving Dover to reach bases in the Persian Gulf nonstop without being refueled. Today, C-5s typically stop for fuel in Spain or Germany before continuing east

. . .

Unrefueled range with 120,000 pounds of cargo
• C-5A/B: 4,785 miles
• C-5M: 5,775 miles

glad to see it’s beginning to see service

and Dover to the Persian Gulf non-stop, wow, something a C-17 could never even dream of

good to see us investing in upgrading these true strategic transports

it also ties in with this story about the C-5/C-17 mix:

http://airforcetimes.com/news/2009/04/airforce_C5_C17_042909/

Study supports limit on C-17s, upgrade of C-5s

Buying more C-17s while grounding older C-5s or not upgrading the Galaxys would result in less military airlift capacity

. . .

Much of the installation costs — $148 million a plane — would be made up by expected savings in fuel and maintenance costs

basically a big fat finger to the GAO for their incredibly misleading report