Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

The C-141 Starlifter was a four-engine jet strategic airlifter built by Lockheed-Georgia and long the workhorse of U.S. Military Airlift Command. The C-141A, built between 1963 and 1967, was the Air Force's first jet aircraft designed from the outset as a military troop and cargo carrier; the first was delivered in 1964 and squadron operations began in 1965. It could airlift combat forces over intercontinental distances and deliver them by landing or airdrop, and it pioneered paratroop drops from a jet transport.

Most of the fleet was later rebuilt as the stretched C-141B, lengthened by 23 feet 4 inches and fitted with in-flight refueling, which raised cargo capacity by roughly a third. The Starlifter carried troops, palletized cargo, vehicles and aeromedical patients, and served in conflicts and humanitarian relief worldwide. It remained the backbone of U.S. airlift until its retirement in 2006.