'Big' improvements come with upgrades to the AF's largest jet

Published Jan. 21, 2009
By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
436th AW Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The mighty C-5, commonly noted as the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory, is currently undergoing modifications and upgrades to improve performance and reliability.

According to a C-5 test pilot assigned to the C-5 Modernization Program, the new C-5M Super Galaxy, which Dover Air Force Base is scheduled to receive Feb. 5, brings many improvements.

Thrust is the biggest noticeable advantage to the upgraded C-5, said Maj. Dan Woodall, commander of the Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Squadron Detachment 1 in Marietta, Ga., and a program test pilot. Major Woodall is considered an expert on the frame as he's logged more than 2,000 flight hours in C-5s and recently flew more than 150 hours in C-5Ms.

The Super Galaxy's capability was proven again on a recent mission to Europe, said Major Woodall.

"During developmental testing, we departed out of Travis [Air Force Base, Calif.,] with a gross weight of 807,000 pounds, continued over a polar region and continued into [Royal Air Force] Mildenhall, United Kingdom," continued Major Woodall. "In contrast, the C-5 legacy could only have taken off with a gross weight of 692,000 pounds due to critical length limitations, and could only carry half the cargo that we carried on the C-5M."

The increased thrust of the C-5M greatly improves climb rate, said the major. When operating in a threat area, the improved climb rate will expedite getting the aircraft and crew out of a hot zone. Test crews proved this ability in extremely low and extremely high temperature environments.

A Dover AFB pilot noted that the additional capabilities the C-5M brings would have drastically improved some of his missions.

"In the fall, we were taking some Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles to Afghanistan and we discovered we had to download some at Ramstein [Air Base, Germany,] because we couldn't take off with more than three MRAPs," said Lt. Col. Thomas Loper, 436th Operations Group.

The new Super Galaxy will alleviate this problem, explained Colonel Loper. "Now, we will be able to take the full load of five or maybe even six MRAPs without a problem," he said.

In addition to the improvements in performance, additional cockpit features were upgraded, said Major Woodall. Due to the noise compliance-related modifications, aircrew can now speak without shouting. In the past this was impossible, especially during maximum power engine runs on the ground.

All the modifications that come with the Super Galaxy will certainly improve the lives of Dover-based crews, but they are not quality-of-live initiatives, Major Woodall said. The new Super Galaxy is set to advance Dover's air mobility mission, hasten the air bridge to Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas locations, and get needed supplies to worldwide bases quicker than ever before.