Performance and mechanical data are combined here for a faster, more compact read. Values describe the represented model or nearest clearly identified source variant.
Performance and mechanical specifications for C-17 Globemaster III
Primary role
Strategic and tactical airlift
Crew
3
Configuration
Strategic/tactical airlifter
Powerplant
4 × Pratt & Whitney F117 turbofans
Top speed
518 mph
Ceiling
45,000 ft
Published range
2,780 mi with payload
Length
174 ft
Wingspan / rotor
169 ft 10 in
Weight
585,000 lb maximum
02 · SERVICE CHRONOLOGY
FROM ORIGIN TO LEGACY.
A dated sequence follows the airframe from development through operational use and later evolution. The number of milestones follows the story rather than a fixed template, and each note explains why the event mattered—not only what happened.
A short, rights-screened motion record adds sound, movement, and operational scale without autoplaying or delaying the interactive model.
C-17 Globemaster III takeoff and landingoperational footage
Official takeoff and landing footage of the C-17 Globemaster III.
REUSE NOTE Embedded without modification. Commercial editorial reuse remains subject to the source record, non-endorsement, trademark, privacy/publicity, and third-party-rights limitations.
The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.
Focused facts connect the airframe's systems to the way it was built, flown, or used.
01
Blown flaps
Engine exhaust crosses deployed flaps to support steep, slow approaches.
02
Ground reverse
Thrust reversers assist backing and maneuvering on constrained ramps.
03
Flexible hold
The rear ramp and wide cabin accept vehicles, pallets, troops, or litters.
06 · HISTORICAL FIELD NOTE
WHY IT MATTERS.
The C-17 connects intercontinental airlift with access to relatively short, austere runways. A high-lift wing, externally blown flaps, thrust reversers, and a wide cargo compartment let it deliver outsized loads closer to their destination than traditional strategic transports. [1]
Reference figures vary by variant, payload, configuration, altitude, test method, and source. Values here are an editorial orientation—not operational or flight-planning data.
Each numbered citation links to an operator, national museum, manufacturer, or established research institution. The scope note tells you exactly what that source supports, and each entry includes its retrieval date.
Where the represented model and source variant differ, the scope is labelled rather than silently treated as an exact match. Read the editorial policy, report a correction through the legal notice, or review 3D-model provenance in the attribution directory.
