Boeing YC-14 (Model 953)

Tactical Airlifter Transport Aircraft Prototype

United States | 1976

"The Boeing YC-14 tactical airlifter prototype met USAF expectations but the service moved in another direction - leaving just two examples completed."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/12/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The United States Air Force (USAF) attempted to replace the long-running, prop-driven Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" tactical transport during the mid-1970s. With production beginning in 1954, the high-winged, four-engined C-130 had been in service for several decades up to that point and a myriad of variants were ultimately realized when the USAF established the Advanced Medium STOL Transport (AMST) competition of 1968 to seek a standardized successor. From the RFP (Request For Proposal) of 1972, Boeing's entry into the competition became its "YC-14" and this was set against the McDonnell Douglas "YC-15" prototype.

The C-130 set the standard for successful medium-class transports with its high-mounted wings and elevated empennage. The mounting of the engines along these wing elements forced a "T-style" tail unit to be used to help clear prop-wash. The cockpit was set over the short nose assembly for a commanding view and the elevated tail unit allowed for excellent access to the cargo hold from the rear. Performance-wise, the C-130 could operate from little-prepared airfields which added a rugged quality to the series still appreciated today.

With this in mind, Boeing engineers returned with a similar design arrangement in the Model 953 - save for propeller-driven propulsion. Instead, a pair of large turbofan engines took their place on the wing leading edges in the form of 2 x General Electric CF6-50D engines of 51,000lb thrust each - the exhaust blowing over the trailing edge flaps. The operating crew numbered three and internal capacity ranged from 150 combat-ready troops to 69,000lb of cargo. Overall length became 131.7 feet with a wingspan of 129 feet and height of 48.3 feet. Empty weight was 117,500lb against a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 251,000lb.

Boeing and McDonnell Douglas each had their designs selected from a field of five entries and each were awarded prototype contracts for two examples. Boeing prototype 72-1873 went to the air for the first time on August 9th, 1976 and the second example followed as 72-1874 in time. The formal USAF head-to-head competition began in November of 1976 at Edwards AFB and this phase lasted into mid-1977.

In the end, neither design was adopted for further development nor serial production due to the fact that the USAF had begun moving away from tactical-minded airlifters and towards strategic-minded types. To rework the two designs would have required considerable modifications so the AMST program was ended before the start of 1980. From there, the USAF moved on a new initiative - the "C-X" program which yielded the C-17 "Globemaster III" still in service today.

McDonnell Douglas was eventually merged into the Boeing brand label in August of 1997 - thus the C-17 design, originating from McDonnell Douglas, today exists as a Boeing product.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Boeing YC-14 Tactical Airlifter Transport Aircraft Prototype.

2 x General Electric CF6-50D turbofan engines developing 51,000lb of thrust each.
Propulsion

503 mph
810 kph | 437 kts
Max Speed

44,997 ft
13,715 m | 9 miles
Service Ceiling

3,191 miles
5,135 km | 2,773 nm
Operational Range

1,935 ft/min
590 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Boeing YC-14 Tactical Airlifter Transport Aircraft Prototype.

3
(MANNED)
Crew

131.7 ft
40.15 m
O/A Length

129.0 ft
(39.32 m)
O/A Width

48.4 ft
(14.75 m)
O/A Height

117,749 lb
(53,410 kg)
Empty Weight

250,996 lb
(113,850 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Boeing YC-14 (Model 953) family line.

YC-14 - Base Prototype Designation; two examples completed for testing.

Model 953 - Boeing company designator

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Boeing YC-14 (Model 953). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 2 Units
Contractor(s): Boeing Company - USA

[ United States (cancelled) ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 750mph

Lo: 375mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (503mph).

Graph Average of 563 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

2

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

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Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

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Image from the Public Domain.

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

TRANSPORT

X-PLANE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Going Further...
The Boeing YC-14 (Model 953) Tactical Airlifter Transport Aircraft Prototype appears in the following collections:

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