C-140A“Jetstar”
SERIAL NUMBER: 59-5958
SPECIFICATIONS
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Span: 54' 11"
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Length: 60' 5"
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Height: 20' 5"
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Weight: 41,000 lb
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Armament: None
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Engines: Four P&W JT12A-6A
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Crew: 2 plus
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Cost: $2,312,000
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Maximum speed: 598 mph
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Cruising speed: 567 mph
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Range: 2,200 mi
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Service Ceiling: 45,000'
The JetStar was the first dedicated business jet to enter service, as well as the only such airplane built by Lockheed. It was also one of the largest aircraft in the class for many years, seating ten plus two crew. It is distinguishable from other small jets by its four engines, mounted on the rear of the fuselage, and the "slipper"-style fuel tanks fixed to the wings.
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Sixteen JetStars were produced for the USAF; five C-140As were flight inspection aircraft for the Air Force Communications Service and were used to perform airborne testing of airport navigational aids (navaids) from 1962 onwards. They began service during the Vietnam War and remained in service until the early 1990s. The "Flight Check" C-140As were combat-coded aircraft that could be distinguished from the VIP transport version by their distinctive paint scheme. The C-140As were deployed to southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, where, in addition to their more usual navaid testing, they would loiter off the coast and act as communications relays between the Pentagon and the battlefield
An additional eleven airframes were designated C-140B, although the first of these predated the C-140As when it was delivered in 1961. The C-140Bs were used to transport personnel by the Military Airlift Command or were operated as VIP transports by the 89th Military Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base.
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Our C-140 was manufactured in 1962 and spent most of its Air Force career as a flight check aircraft at different bases around the world. It was assigned to 1867th Facilities Checking Sq, Clark AB, PI and was used for inspecting NAVAIDS throughout SE Asia until about Sept 1975. It returned to CONUS at Richards-Gebaur AFB, MO and in 1977 the squadron moved to Scott AFB,IL. It was painted in the camo scheme during the Vietnam hostilities. The Jetstars were replaced around 1988 and flight check was taken over by the FAA. Our C-140 is painted in her original livery of the Air Force Communication Service.