Lab pursues lighter heavy airlifter

[unhappycamper]

A C-5A Galaxy from the 68th Airlift Squadron in San Antonio waits for its passengers at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., in 2006. Although the Air Force has no plans to replace the C-5 in the near future, the Air Force Research Laboratory has asked private industry to draw plans to build an airlifter made of extremely tough composite materials such as high-end plastics, and is now reviewing the submissions.


Lab pursues lighter heavy airlifter
By Patrick Winn - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 21, 2008 6:16:47 EDT

The C-5 Galaxy is a steel whale: slow, gas-hungry and large enough to swallow tanks and helicopters.

Though the Air Force has no plans to replace the Galaxy anytime soon, researchers want to make sure the next heavy airlifter, whenever it comes, is built of lighter materials.

The Air Force Research Laboratory asked private industry to draw plans to build an airlifter made of extremely tough composite materials such as high-end plastics, and is now reviewing the submissions.

The goal is to pick a plan and, in the span of three years, present a flight-capable demo aircraft that proves a jet made of new-age materials could be mass-produced.

The Air Force is modernizing its Galaxy fleet, upgrading the avionics on C-5A models and re-engineering and improving the avionics on B and C models, which will then be designated C-5Ms. But the heavy steel airframes remain the same.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/04/airforce_super_light_airlift_042008/