Why the C-5 Galaxy Is Such a Badass Plane

The largest military transport in the U.S.’s arsenal is also one of the largest planes in the world—and its five decades of operation is worth celebrating. With the ability to swallow 50-ton main battle tanks and deposit them on another continent, the Galaxy is an essential part of the global logistics system. “[The C-5] symbolized the size, power, might and majesty of the United States Air Force,” says Air Force Historian John Leland, and it still does to this day. For a half-century, the Galaxy has kept America’s armed forces, allies, and far-flung scientists well supplied in the most remote corners of the Earth, and it will continue to do the job for the foreseeable future. It’s hard to wrap your head around the sheer size of the C-5. The most recent version, the C-5M, is 247 feet long. That’s twelve feet longer than an Airbus A380 superjumbo civilian jetliner. It has a wingspan of 222.8 feet, with each wing as long as a basketball court. The aircraft stands 65 feet tall, the equivalent of a six-and-a-half story building. [View in Browser]( [Popular Mechanics]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Why the C-5 Galaxy Is Such a Badass Plane]( [Why the C-5 Galaxy Is Such a Badass Plane]( [Why the C-5 Galaxy Is Such a Badass Plane]( The largest military transport in the U.S.’s arsenal is also one of the largest planes in the world—and its five decades of operation is worth celebrating. With the ability to swallow 50-ton main battle tanks and deposit them on another continent, the Galaxy is an essential part of the global logistics system. “[The C-5] symbolized the size, power, might and majesty of the United States Air Force,” says Air Force Historian John Leland, and it still does to this day. For a half-century, the Galaxy has kept America’s armed forces, allies, and far-flung scientists well supplied in the most remote corners of the Earth, and it will continue to do the job for the foreseeable future. It’s hard to wrap your head around the sheer size of the C-5. The most recent version, the C-5M, is 247 feet long. That’s twelve feet longer than an Airbus A380 superjumbo civilian jetliner. It has a wingspan of 222.8 feet, with each wing as long as a basketball court. The aircraft stands 65 feet tall, the equivalent of a six-and-a-half story building. The largest military transport in the U.S.’s arsenal is also one of the largest planes in the world—and its five decades of operation is worth celebrating. With the ability to swallow 50-ton main battle tanks and deposit them on another continent, the Galaxy is an essential part of the global logistics system. “[The C-5] symbolized the size, power, might and majesty of the United States Air Force,” says Air Force Historian John Leland, and it still does to this day. For a half-century, the Galaxy has kept America’s armed forces, allies, and far-flung scientists well supplied in the most remote corners of the Earth, and it will continue to do the job for the foreseeable future. It’s hard to wrap your head around the sheer size of the C-5. The most recent version, the C-5M, is 247 feet long. That’s twelve feet longer than an Airbus A380 superjumbo civilian jetliner. It has a wingspan of 222.8 feet, with each wing as long as a basketball court. The aircraft stands 65 feet tall, the equivalent of a six-and-a-half story building. [Read More]( [Read More]( [These Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Make for Easy Holiday Decorating]( [These Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Make for Easy Holiday Decorating]( And if you think they don’t measure up to the real deal, think again. 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