C-17 Globemaster III In Action Book Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | June 2013 | Title | C-17 Globemaster III In Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Bill Norton | Publisher | Squadron/Signal Publications |
| Published | 2013 | ISBN | 978-0-89747-723-9 |
| Format | 80 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $18.95 |
Review
For those of us who remember when Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings, you may remember a big competition called AMST (Advanced Medium STOL Transport) that led to the twin-engined Boeing YC-14 versus the four-engined YC-15. The USAF selected the YC-15 design, while the Russians chose the YC-14 which was developed as the An-72/74 series. All was looking great for the program except a new requirement came along - the AMST program was developed around the M60 main battle tank and new M1 Abrams would not fit inside either aircraft. The YC-15 was redesigned into the C-17 and the rest, as they say, is history.
While airlifters are not what many folks consider to be glamorous duty, the commander of AFOTEC (a fighter pilot) had the opportunity to fly one of the early C-17s at Edwards AFB back in the 1990s and he returned with a serious smile on his face. At last we had an airlifter with a proper control stick, HUD, lots of power, air refueling, and the ability to plunk into austere runways and get back out again. The aircraft was designed to replace the C-130 and has assumed many of the duties of the Hercules from dropping paratroopers to dropping cargo, from hauling combat vehicles to special cargo. I remember one C-17 flight with a live whale in the cargo bay that landed in Greenland to return the animal back to the wild, but broke a landing gear in the process. The whale made it safely to the sea and the aircraft eventually returned to the air.
In this 'In Action' title, the author takes you through the early days of AMST and into the daily flight operations of the C-17. The title is well-illustrated with lots of full-color images which provide a nice look at the aircraft from the inside out. There are also quite a few examples of the different unit markings carried on the aircraft as well as a look at some of the C-17s operating in other air arms around the world.
The title is an excellent resource for modeler and historian alike. If you have the Revell AG kit of this aircraft (and I do), this will also be a handy reference to capture all of the subtle details and colors worn on this terrific aircraft. This title is definitely recommended!
My sincere thanks to Squadron/Signal Publications for this review sample!