Lockheed C-141B Starlifter - Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins, GA
Posted by: Thorny1
N 32° 35.564 W 083° 35.211
17S E 257208 N 3609092
Lockheed C-141B on display at the Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins, GA.
Waymark Code: WM48BA
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 07/21/2008
Views: 46
Lockheed C-141B
Beginning operations in April 1965, the C-141 provided the USAF with a fast, long-range jet transport to accommodate the growing global-responsibilities of the Military Airlift Command. Drawing heavily on the experiences of the C-130 Hercules, the Starlifter featured a similar fuselage design that minimized cabin obstruction. This allowed the C-141 to accommodate 200 troops, 155 fully-equipped paratroops, 103 litters and 14 seats, or 68,725 pounds of cargo. It also contained two large clamshell doors and a rear ramp that allowed for in-flight airdropping of troops and cargo. On 8 February 1961, even before the first flight, Robins Air Force Base was selected as logistics support manager for the C-141 program. Managed by the Warner Robins Air Materiel Area, C-130s and C-141s served as the long distance cargo haulers of the Vietnam Conflict flying thousands of supply missions along the "pipeline," a route from Robins to California or Alaska and on to Japan and, finally, Vietnam or Thailand.
Although the C-141A was the backbone of the Military Airlift Command forces, the Air Force realized by the 1970s, that in-flight refueling capability was essential, and that in most cases the C-141As had load capability greater than their physical capacity. In 1976, Lockheed received a contract to convert the C-141A by lengthening the fuselage and adding in-flight refueling. Designed YC-141B, the prototype was first flown on March 24, 1977. Since then, 270 C-141As have been converted to the C-141B configuration, the last of the conversions were performed in June 1982. The volume of the cargo compartment was increased by 2,171 cubic feet (61.48 cubic meters), making it possible to load 13 instead of 10 cargo pallets.
The C-141B on display, serial number 65-0248, was the last C-141 to receive depot-level maintenance at Robins AFB in 2003, thereby ending not only an era in Robins' history but in the history of Georgia aviation. The C-141 prototype made its maiden flight on 17 December 1963 at Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia, and the first C-141 underwent maintenance at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center soon after that. Since then, 284 aircraft made 1,800 trips through the programmed depot maintenance line here. The museum acquired it in 2005.
Type of Aircraft: (make/model): Lockheed C-141B
Tail Number: (S/N): 65-0248
Construction:: original aircraft
Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): Museum of Aviation, RAFB, Warner Robins, GA
inside / outside: outside
Other Information:: Not listed
Access restrictions: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)
Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.