The Boeing C-17 first flew on September 15 1991. It’s a fine aircraft, one of the best in the World. Like most aircraft it had teething problems in its early days, but those have since been resolved, and turned what was initially called a failure into a great success.
The one aspect where the Boeing C-17 does not shine is its cost. Estimates vary between 190 million to 330 million dollars, according to whom you ask, but all agree it’s an expensive aircraft for the military.
If you compare it in size to a civilian aircraft, it is close to a Boeing 777-200, not in external dimensions, but in Max Take Off Weight, which is the true measure of the size of an aircraft. A Boeing 777-200 costs between 180 and 240 million dollars. The C-17 is in line with its civilian counterparts as far as price.
Where they differ is that the airlines, to be able to pay for such high priced investments, fly them over 5000 hours a year, and do so with fare paying passengers or cargo on board. The military on the other hand, probably fly theirs around 750 hours a year in peacetime, maybe 1500 hours/year in wartime if the United States and Great Britain can be considered at war today.
Because of its very high acquisition cost, no country other than the United States ever purchased the C-17 between 1991 and 2006, during 15 years it was in production. About 180 aircraft were delivered to the United States during that time. In 2000, Great Britain leased 4 C-17s. It had long wanted the aircraft but could not afford to purchase them. It eventually came to a lease agreement with Boeing that more or less fell within its budget. That is what the Britsh taxpayers were led to think anyway. There were huge cost overruns, that were blamed on the war that began the following year. In 2006 the last American orders were about to be delivered and Boeing began considering closing its Long Beach plant that manufactured the C-17 if no more orders came in.
Then out of the blue, after 15 years with zero foreign sales, in a six month period, from March 2006 to September 2006, Great Britain announces that not only it will purchase its 4 leased aircraft but order a fifth, Australia announces the purchase of 4 C-17s, Canada announces it also wants 4 of them and NATO emits a letter of intent for another 4. And everyone needs them yesterday.
What happened suddenly? Did they go on sale? Did everyone suddenly discover how great the aircraft was? Did World War Three begin? Not that I know of.
Then why this sudden interest?
Last edited by Minorite invisible; 13th Nov 2006 at 19:34.
Reason: typos