Boeing YC-14 (Model 953)

Tactical Airlifter Transport Aircraft Prototype [ 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.

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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.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1976

Origin

United States

Status

CANCELLED
Development Ended.

Crew

3

Production

2
UNITS

Boeing Company - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

United States (cancelled)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Transport
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.

✓ X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

Length

131.7 ft
(40.15 m)

Width/Span

129.0 ft
(39.32 m)

Height

48.4 ft
(14.75 m)

Empty Wgt

117,749 lb
(53,410 kg)

MTOW

250,996 lb
(113,850 kg)

Wgt Diff

+133,247 lb
(+60,440 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Boeing YC-14 production variant)

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

Max Speed

503 mph
(810 kph | 437 kts)

Ceiling

44,997 ft
(13,715 m | 9 mi)

Range

3,191 mi
(5,135 km | 9,510 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

1,935 ft/min
(590 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Boeing YC-14 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

None.

Supported Types

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

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

Model 953 - Boeing company designator

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