Civilian/military airlifter: finally a reality?

A recent article in Aviation Week and Space Technology (Robert Wall, "It's Back," July 5, 2004, p.33) suggests that Congress may once again propose that Boeing sell a small number of commercially configured C-17s, called the BC-17, to a cargo airline. The carrier could then be asked to perform contract air services for the military and commit the aircraft to the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). For additional revenue, the airline could sell services to others.

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The commercial use of cargo aircraft designed for military applications is an intriguing one that has been around for a long time. Both the C-141 and the C-5 were offered to the airlines, but their high-wing design (and, in the case of the C-141, limited payload capacity) made them more costly to operate and generally less attractive than the freighter versions of the low-wing aircraft they were already flying. Furthermore, airline managers saw little need for an airplane capable of moving outsize cargo and none were ever sold. The commercial air cargo market has come a long way since those two aircraft first rolled off the assembly line, and the time might just be right for the resurrection of this proposal. Of course, a freighter with drive on/drive off, outsize capability would appeal to a fairly limited market. But there is a market. Air Foyle Heavylift Airlines is a British firm that, in partnership with the Russian carrier Antonov Airlines, is enjoying some success operating a fleet of seven Antonov An-124s (a C-5 clone) on world-wide ad hoc charters. In fact, they also offer the services of the Antonov An-225, a six-engine behemoth with a 250 ton payload capacity! Though small, the market is appealing because shippers with such specialized requirements tend to be relatively unconcerned about the cost of transportation. Simply put, the only way they can meet their needs is with these unique aircraft and they are willing to pay for the service.

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The implications for the Department of Defense (DoD) of placing the BC-17 into commercial service are significant. Though the size of the fleet has yet to be determined (Wall notes that a ten-aircraft purchase seems most likely, although he says that estimates run as high as 30), the CRAF would, for the first time, have at least some freighters that could be used without the constraints on cargo loading dictated today by the use of low-wing aircraft. Such things as the size of the cargo loading door(s), fuselage shape, the lack of drive on/drive off capability and the simple fact that everything must be raised and lowered approximately 15 feet complicate the entire loading/unloading process, and limit the type of military equipment that can be moved on CRAF airplanes today.

Needless to say, a lot of thorny issues would need to be resolved, not the least of which is obtaining FAA certification for the plane. In addition, disposition of the aircraft should the operator fail or the market prove to be uneconomical would have to be addressed. Finally, crew training, both initial and ongoing, would be challenging as well. But the upside is tremendous. Not only would there be CRAF cargo capability that could be fully utilized in time of war, but the production of the BC-17 would reduce the total cost of manufacturing additional military versions of the plane as well. Hopefully, the proposal won't die this time around. The growing demand for on-demand oversize air freight charters together with the strengthening of the CRAF could make the development of the BC-17 a win-win for everyone.

Dr. Kent N. Gourdin, Editor DTJ 

Director, Global Logistics and Transportation Program College of Charleston