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       E-Digest                                                                   27 July 2012  

   


C-5A 90014
Another BIG First!!!
 

We have been notified that sometime before the end of March 2013 we will be receiving C-5A 69-0014 making the AMC Museum the only museum in the world to have one on public display. Not only was 0014 assigned to Dover from the early 70s off-and-on for about ten years, it was assigned here in 1974 when it became the only aircraft ever to launch an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile from in-flight. During the Cold War an experiment was conducted to see if, theoretically at least, it would be possible to use a fleet of airborne C-5s armed with ICBMs on alert as an additional deterrent to Soviet Aggression. After a series of test drops with ever increasing dummy loads of drywall stacked on long pallet trains it was determined that the aircraft was stable during and after the drop of such a large load. A real Minuteman Missile was loaded on board and at an altitude of around 20,000 feet the missile was extracted using a drag chute. The extraction cradle was jettisoned and after the missile stabilized under it's parachute it was ignited. The test was successful and the data was valuable, but no airborne missile launchers resulted.

 


Minuteman
And Speaking of Missiles
 

We are examining the possibilities of acquiring a Minuteman I missile to exhibit with our C-5 because it has to be one of the more unique cargo loads any airlifter has dropped. A museum out West happens to have a Minuteman I that is surplus to their needs so if we can arrange to take it down from its mount and ship it here we will have another impressive way to show the size of the C-5 Galaxy.

 

 


 
And Speaking of C-5s
 

In any other edition of our e-news we would have lead with the story that we have acquired the recently retired C-5 Cockpit Procedures Trainer used to teach air and ground crews how to start engines, respond to emergencies and generally familiarize themselves with C-5 cockpit operations in a training environment. This is a huge benefit for us because it will allow our visitors to see (and sit in) an exact duplicate of the C-5s pilot, co-pilot and engineers positions.

 C-5 CPT

I had estimated that it would take us about three months from the day we moved the trainer from the Field Training School on-base to the museum before we would have it open for the public. Boy was I wrong. In less than two weeks from the last day it was in use at the school we have reopened it here for our visitors. We had to remove two pickup truck loads of wiring and a half dozen closet sized cabinets that housed early 1970s era computer cards (which are going to become an exhibit of their own). We are not able to keep the computers running that allowed the simulator to operate because it took three full time maintainers to keep forty year old systems working. In addition we had to remove several simulator instructors' desks and about a third of the overall simulator that is not similar to what is actually on a C-5. Finally we had to rewire it for lighting and modify all the finish panels and trim to present a good looking exhibit. Once again our incomparable volunteers have risen to the challenge. Come on in and take a good look. Even after we get our C-5 this will be a great exhibit because we will not be able to open the C-5 flight deck to regular tours.   

 


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