How to Identify a C-141 StarLifter

The C-141 StarLifter entered military service 30 years ago as the US Air Force's first all-jet cargo aircraft.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Film
• Cameras
• Cameras
• Binoculars
• Binoculars
• Computers
• Camcorders
• Videocassettes
• Computer Desks
• Digital Cameras
• Camera Lenses
• Camera Accessories
• Camera Tripod
• Aircraft Band Scanner
• Air & Space Subscriptions
• Aviation Illustrated Magazine
• Flying Magazines
• Telescopes
• Aviation History Subscription
• Golden Age Of Aviation
• Pioneers Of Aviation Videos
• Polaroid Cameras
• Polaroid Film

1. Look for a large, four-engine aircraft.

2. Remember that most military aircraft are painted either in low-visibility gray-blue or in camouflage.

3. Note the C-141 has swept-back wings mounted high on the fuselage.

4. Check the engines. There are two jet engines mounted on pylons under each wing.

5. Remember, the C-141's fuselage is distinctive. The StarLifter features a rounded, somewhat bulbous nose with a refueling pod cresting over the cockpit.

6. Check the rear of the fuselage. Note how it seems to sweep upward to form the vertical stabilizer.

7. Look at the top of the vertical stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizer elements are at its peak.

Tips & Warnings

• The StarLifter, designed and built by Lockheed-Martin for the US Air Force, is nearly 170 feet long, has a wingspan of 160 feet, and reaches to almost 40 feet at the tip of its vertical stabilizer.
• Four Pratt & Whitney jets generate 21,000 pounds of thrust each to carry the C-141 2500 nautical miles at .74 Mach with a payload of 94,500 pounds.
• A C-141's cargo compartment is more than 90 feet long, 9 feet high and 10 feet wide, offering a capacity of more than 9,000 cubic feet.
• A single StarLifter can insert 168 US Army paratroopers into an area of operations.
• C-141 StarLifters play a central role in the US military's airlift capability. You're most likely to see one at an exhibit or an air show.
• Obey all security and safety regulations when visiting a US Air Force base.