I saw this aircraft on static display at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson Arizona many decades back and was fascinated by the simplicity of the aerodynamic concept. Compared to the brute force design of the C-17, which had mutated greatly since that original “fly off” concept model shown here, was used to bore holes in the sky.
When I was in the U.S. Army we had two principle aircraft in the USAF MAC (Military Airlift Command), that being the Lockheed C-130, still in use today, and the Lockheed C-141 “Starlifter,” since removed to the boneyard over “mission creep” and its main-wing “wing-box” design deficiencies for flying low altitude, “Nap of the Earth,” operational flights. The C-17 was a great solution for MAC, although the unit’s name had changed by the time the aircraft entered service!![]()

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