First upgraded C-5 arrives at Dover

[unhappycamper]

$147 million makeover
New avionics and four new engines


First upgraded C-5 arrives at Dover
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 9, 2009 8:43:02 EST

The C-5 Galaxy community reaches a milestone Monday when the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base, Del., receives its first C-5M, an upgraded version of the airlifter with new engines and avionics.

Dover’s C-5M is one of three built for operational testing as the service tests whether four new engines and a digital cockpit can cut the plane’s fuel use and improve its readiness and flight performance.

Until now, C-5Ms have spent most their time in ground evaluations or flight tests, including a 56-hour, 27,000-mile mission around the Pacific Rim with stops in Alaska and Australia.

The Dover C-5M started as a C-5; Lockheed Martin gutted the cockpit and switched the four engines out. Each of the new General Electric CF-6 engines adds 10,000 pounds of thrust, according to the Air Force.

Under the C-5M program, the Air Force intends to re-engine and upgrade the avionics of about half of the 111-plane C-5 fleet. A Defense Department report estimated the cost at $147 million each. Lockheed Martin had estimated the cost at $83 million each.


Rest of article at: http://airforcetimes.com/news/2009/02/airforce_c5m_dover_020909w/%2e



uhc comment: Interesting - the guys who pay the bills say $147 million and the contractor says $83 million. (I'll bet the DoD estimate is low.)

[Captain Hilts]

1. Hey hey hey Fat Albert!

[Fabio]

2. In conjunction with the C-17

fleet reaching it's stated goal of 210 aircraft (205 our actually budgeted now through 2010), we might actually be finally arriving at necessary strategic lift levels. Tankers on the other hand....

[Captain Hilts]

3. That's an amazing achievement. After ALL these years.

That's something the Soviets had over us all through the Cold War. We ended up using contractors.