Gulfstream C-20

Government / Military VIP Passenger Transport [ 1983 ]

Two different Gulfstream business jets - the III and IV series - served as the basis for the military VIP transport-minded C-20.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/12/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the United States Department of Defense imagery database.

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The Gulfstream III and Gulfstream IV commercial corporate jets have served as the framework for the "C-20" family of U.S. military government-level VIP passenger transports. The Gulfstream III covers the C-20A, C-20B, C-20C and C-20D models while the Gulfstream IV is the C-20F (U.S. Army), C-20G (USMC), C-20H (USAF) and C-20J (U.S. Army). The Gulfstream III was introduced by Gulfstream Aerospace in 1980 and 202 were built while the Gulfstream IV achieved better commercial success, entering service in the mid-1980s and has seen production reach 870 units. Both variations are twin-engine jets of conventional form and function.

The original C-20A and C-20B production models were selected to succeed the outgoing line C-140B JetStar aircraft then in service with the USAF. The C-20A held provision for 14 passengers and carried a crew of five. The C-20B (2 x Rolls-Royce Spey 511-8 engines) arrived in 1992 with updated avionics and electronics while the C-20C introduced protected communications for its passengers. The C-20D was taken on by the United States Navy (USN) as an Operational Support Airlift (OSA) type and given appropriate mission equipment for the role of transporting high-ranking USN officials. The C-20E arrived as a "stretched fuselage" model and given slightly reworked wing mainplanes, serving the United States Army.

The SRA-1 became a specialized variant intended for reconnaissance and surveillance for the export market. Similarly, the SMA-3 became a radar-equipped version for maritime patrol, Search & Rescue and VIP transport for Denmark.

For the USAF, three C-20A examples were delivered to the 89th Airlift Wing and these were then shipped to Ramstein AFB in Germany. The C-20B arrived powered by 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey Mark 511-8 series engines.

The C-20H was another stretched fuselage version (powered by 2 x Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8 engines) and this arrived in 1992 as a more advanced model with modernized avionics, uprated engines and new electrical system offering improved range, performance and noise reduction.

The C-20A was given up in frontline service by the USAF in 2002. To fill the gap at Ramstein, a pair of C-20H models were shipped to Germany in their place.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1983

Origin

United States

Status

ACTIVE
In Limited Service.

Crew

2

Production

20
UNITS

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Sweden; United States

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

✓ VIP Service
Used in the Very-Important-Person (VIP) passenger transport role, typically with above-average amenities and luxuries as standard.

Length

79.9 ft
(24.36 m)

Width/Span

68.8 ft
(20.98 m)

Height

24.5 ft
(7.47 m)

Empty Wgt

36,905 lb
(16,740 kg)

MTOW

65,499 lb
(29,710 kg)

Wgt Diff

+28,594 lb
(+12,970 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Gulfstream C-20A production variant)

Installed: 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey 511-8 turbofan engines developing 11,400lb of thrust each.

Max Speed

582 mph
(936 kph | 505 kts)

Ceiling

45,000 ft
(13,716 m | 9 mi)

Range

4,275 mi
(6,880 km | 12,742 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

4,350 ft/min
(1,326 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Gulfstream C-20A 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)

Gulfstream II - Base Business Jet model on what the military C-20 is based on; Similar forward fuselage and cross section of the Gulfstream I business jet model; swept-wing; T-tail section assembly.

Gulfstream III - Improved Gulfstream II model; increased wingspan and minor aerodynamic improvements; increased fuel capacity; increased overall range.

Gulfstream IIB - Updated Gulfstream II's with Gulfstream III newer wing assembly.

C-20 - Military variant based on the Gulfstream III design; utilized by the USAF.

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