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C-141B “Starlifter”

C-141B “Starlifter”
SERIAL NUMBER: 63-8088

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Official Designation: C-141B Starlifter

  • Primary Role: Strategic airlift

  • Secondary Role: Special operations, aeromedical evac

  • National Origin: USA

  • Original Contractor: Lockheed-Georgia Co.

  • Operator: United States Air Force

  • Wingspan: 160 ft

  • Length: 168 ft 4 in

  • Height at Tail: 39 ft 7 in

  • Length:  104 ft 3 in

  • Width:  10 ft 3 in

  • Height:  9 ft

  • Armament: None

  • Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-7 turbofans

  • Thrust: 21,000 lbs per engine

  • Cruise  Speed: 520 mph 

  • Max Speed: 550 mph 

  • Range: 5,550 mi without cargo;
    Unlimited with inflight refueling

  • Service Ceiling: 36,000 ft 

  • Operating Weight: 144,492 lbs 

  • Fuel Capacity: 154,550 lbs

  • Max Payload: 90,880 lbs

  • Max Takeoff Weight: 343,000 lbs

  • Crew: 6 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, two flight engineers, one loadmaster)

  • Date Deployed: October 1964 (C-141A)

  • December 1979 (C-141B)

  • Total in Service Less than 200 aircraft (retirement phaseout)

A Tribute to the C-141

C-141B “Starlifter” a.k.a. "Golden Bear"

The U.S. Air Force C-141 B was a modern, high-speed aircraft that was designed for and to meet all Air Force requirements for a logistics system. Its capacity, load ability, and airdrop capacity did not compromise its ability to maintain high, subsonic cruise speeds up to 495 knots. A uniquely-faired afterbody plus a T-Tail combine to provide high aerody­namic efficiency in flight with ease of loading and unloading.

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Our C-141A arrived at Travis AFB, on 23 April 1965, and it was assigned to the LTF (Lead The Force) accelerated aging program. This program required the aircraft to amass as many flying hours as fast as possible in order to asses the aircraft's structure and system's integrity. As part of the fleet upgrade, the aircraft was stretched 23 feet to a "B" model. This aircraft was also a part of  Operation Home Coming (returning Hanoi POWs) on12 February of 1973. The last flight was on 17 January of 1996. It was then assigned to the museum, its final destination. The "Golden Bear" followed a complete repainting and movement to its current location.

GOLDEN BEAR

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Among all aircraft, our GOLDEN BEAR is the most notable.  It is located at the intersection of Burgan Boulevard and Travis Avenue. The GOLDEN BEAR had long been in storage at Travis AFB and had suffered from exposure to the elements. 

 

The museum and the Foundation, with support from the 60th Air Mobility Wing Civil Engineers, restored this historic aircraft in 2005.  The cost of restoration, and placement on exhibit of the original GOLDEN BEAR was funded by volunteer labor, corporate -, individual - and the Foundation's contributions. The 30-day project included repainting, movement of the aircraft, and site preparation, such as lighting and landscaping.

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More than 100 people were on hand for the ceremony to dedicate the newly restored C-141B, “Golden Bear,” on 16 September 2005, POW/MIA Day. 

 

The aircraft, now the best preserved C-141 in the Air Force as well as the most historic, rests next to the “Oath of Enlistment” wall at the intersection of Burgan Boulevard and Travis Avenue below the old hospital. 

 

Among the guest speakers for the ceremony were Mr. Dave Fleming, President of the Doolittle Air and Space Museum Foundation, Col. Regina Aune, who had been a flight nurse on C-141s, Lt. Col. Richard Brenneman, who was a POW in Vietnam, CMSgt Don Hume, who had served on the flight crews of C-141s, Col. Lyn Sherlock, Commander 60 AMW, and Brig. Gen

Thomas Gisler, Commander 349th AMW who had flown the “Golden Bear”. At the end of the ceremony, there was a flyby of a C-5, KC-10, and C-141. 

 

The latter was on its way to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. As it slowly glided over the crowd gathered for the “Golden Bear”, it wagged its wings in salute.

Some C-141 "Starlifter" GOLDEN BEAR Facts:

 

  • It was the first operational C-141 and the first assigned one to Travis.

  • The Lockheed GOLDEN BEAR was our first "Starlifter" to fly and land in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, Okinawa, and the Philippines.

  • It was the first C-141 to med-evac wounded Americans from Vietnam to the US, in this case flying them from Clark AFB in the Philippines to Travis AFB.

  • The GOLDEN BEAR was our first C-141 to fly into Saigon, initiating a mammoth shuttle service between Travis and Vietnam that lasted several years.

  • In addition, after the late 1960s, the GOLDEN BEAR flew in support of every major military contingency and humanitarian operation, in which Travis AFB participated around the globe. These operations included military flights to Panama, Honduras, and Grenada and the airlift of relief to victims of natural disasters in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Mexico City.

  • In 1973, the California GOLDEN BEAR very significantly and safely brought home 566 military and 25 civilian prisoners of war from North Vietnam.

Milestones of The Golden Bear

Video History of the C-141 "Golden Bear" on Display at Travis Air Force Base

Information derived from, “Travis Heritage Center” by Nick Veronico, copyright Travis AFB Historical Society and Travis AFB Heritage Center Foundation.

This book is available from the Travis Heritage Center gift shop.

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