C-5 Galaxy Commercial Cargo Plane

[gonzalu]

I have always wondered why the C-5 Galaxy was never made into a commercial freighter. I would think it could compete very well with the AN-124/224's, Super Guppies, DreamLifeters etc.

Is it a contractual or legal reason? I fiugured maybe since it is a military transport, it can't be commercialized. But I thought there were commercial variants of C-130s and other planes. DC-10/KC-10 or 707/KC-135's are examples of dual role aircraft...

thanks for the knowledge transfer

[cancidas]

if you read tom clancy's rainbow six it happens. i private corporation, one bent on killing millions of people, owns thier own C-5A.

aside from that, there's no real market for it.

[threeholerglory]

the converted DC10 and 707 among others are CRAF variants converted from civilian to military as well. Has the US ever gone the other way around and converted military aircraft to strictly civilian use for commercial purposes?

[Mateo]

The An-124 market isn't as big as you think. Polet has 6, Volga Dnepr has 10, Libyan Air Cargo has 2, and Antonov Design has 7, for 25 in total. The remainder are military. At the time the C-5 was designed and built, I don't think the military would have been too keen on allowing a civilian version of anything.

[Ari707]

There are commercial C-17

[Mateo]

The Qatari ones may be in QR livery, but they're operated by the Air Force for the sole use of state business/personal use of the ruling family, and fly on QAF, not QTR callsigns. You can't book commercial shipments on them.

[jerslice]

The C-5 I believe was built around the time the 747 was...maybe it's just that the 747 won?

[Steven Holzinger]

Other way around - the 747 was supposed to do the C-5's job. The C-5 won, and the 747 (loser of the that competition) was simply adapted for a different role.

[Perriwen]

There are commercial C-17

I think that idea was just tossed around, then tossed out.

[Ari707]

I know Boeing tried to offer C-17's to FedEx

[steve1840]

I wish FedEx would've bought into that. I think the FedEx scheme would look pretty bad a$$ on a C-17.

[PhilDernerJr]

if you read tom clancy's rainbow six it happens. i private corporation, one bent on killing millions of people, owns thier own C-5A.

aside from that, there's no real market for it.

The HORIZON Corporation...what a great book!

The Qatar C-17 is painted in airline livery, but still a military aircraft I believe.

[Steven Holzinger]

Qatar has two C-17s. One is painted in that gorgeous paint job while the other is in the standard AMC gray all other C-17s wear. They are both MILITARY aircraft and operate MILITARY flights.

The "airline" paint job, from what I understand, helps especially when it comes to when the Qatari Air Force flies humanitarian flights.

[Nick]

No one said it was because as customers we expect our shipments to actually leave the ground? Well, I guess I'm first.

Reference: Flew to Afghanistan on FRED.