The world was shocked by this photo of a US military plane carrying 640 Afghans. This is indeed a mighty plane.
The sad and sad photo has enlivened the timeline on social media. About 640 Afghans sit on the cabin floor of a US military plane flying from Kabul. This unusual situation is part of a dramatic evacuation effort after Afghanistan was overrun by the Taliban.
Defense One's online military outlet got his exclusive photo and interview. Many residents were desperate to climb and get into the plane when the large door at the back half opened.
"The crew made the decision to depart (rather than force them out)," the US official told Defense One.
This military cargo plane is not a random plane. This is a United States Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.
The C-17 Globemaster III is a military cargo aircraft with 4 jet engines, a T tail and a cargo loading door at the rear of the fuselage.
Developed since 1981 in Long Beach, California, the new C-17 became operational in January 1995. This jumbo cargo plane can be used to carry troops or war equipment. This aircraft acts on various battlefields from Bosnia to Kosovo.
In total there are 279 units of C-17 aircraft used by the military in various countries, namely the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait and NATO for the joint use of its member countries.
Hundreds of Afghans crammed into US military planes evacuating them from Kabul (Twitter/@DefenseOne) Hundreds of Afghans crammed into US military planes evacuating them from Kabul. Photo: Twitter/@DefenseOne
How can you take 640 Afghan refugees? The power thing is no joke. The C-17 uses four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 jet engines. This great power makes the plane have a maximum weight to fly reaching 265 tons.
The aircraft is 53.04 meters long, 51.74 meters wingspan. The cargo space is 27 x 5.5 x 3.76 meters. The crew is enough for 2 pilots and 1 cargo loadmaster. Its general carrying strength is:
77.5 tons of cargo, or
102 paratrooper paratroopers, or
134 soldiers with side seats, or
54 soldiers with side seats and 13 cargo boxes (pallets), or
36 liters of medicine, 54 patients and medical personnel, or
1 tank M1 Abrams, or
3 Strykers panzers, or
6 armored M1117
This is the first time the C-17 can carry 640 passengers at once and it turns out that it is capable of carrying Afghans. His energy is no joke.
Here are the full specifications of the C-17 Globemaster III:
C-17 Globemaster III Specifications
First release: January 17, 1995
Dimensions: 53 meters long, 51.7 meters wingspan, 16.8 meters high
Weight: 128.1 tons
Maximum flying weight: 265.3 tons
Engine : 4 x Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100
Fuel: 35,546 gallons
Radar : AlliedSignal AN/APS-133(V) (weather and maps)
Cargo space : 27 x 5.5 x 3.76 meters
Maximum speed : 0.875 Mach / 1,080 km/h
Cruising speed : 450 knots / 830 km/h
Cruising range: 4,480 km / 8,000 km (empty)
Flying altitude: 45,000 feet
Ground requirement : 1,067 meters
Crew: 2 pilots, 1 loadmaster
Price : USD 366.2 million