GEMINI USAF C17A 1/400 MISSISSIPPI NAT GUARD 03-3119

GeminiJets 1/400 scale March (AFB) Boeing C-17 Globemaster III diecast model is As Real as it Gets™ and measures approximately 5-3/16-inches long with a 5-1/16-inch wingspan. Manufactured by GeminiJets as a limited edition, highly collectible model, this March (AFB) - Boeing C-17 Globemaster III - Registration 55140 - has been meticulously recreated from Lockheed's and Boeing's blueprints and features realistic landing gear and detailed graphics, assuring the utmost accuracy and superior quality. A Display Stand is not included and is sold separately - Gemini GJSTD777. The original lineage of the Boeing C-17 dates to the early 1970's when the Unites States Air Force needed a single aircraft that would combine the load capacity of the C-141 Starlifter and the C-5 Galaxy aircraft yet have the versatility of the C-130 Hercules. Because of lessons learned in the Vietnam War, the USAF turned to Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas to come up with a design to fit their requirements. Although both manufacturers came up with and built completely flyable prototypes, neither was chosen. With the war having ended, both companies went back to the drawing boards to come up with a more modern design, and McDonnell-Douglas came out the winner. In August 1981, the C-17 was given the official "go ahead" from the USAF. Having first flown in September 1991, the C-17 is now considered to be one of the USAF's most important aircraft. Filled with modern day technology, no other military transport aircraft matches its capability. Some of the more notable features comprises a full "glass" cockpit that includes a Heads Up Display (HUD). The C-17's performance is remarkable, as it only requires 1,400-feet of runway to take off and land. With the C-17's in-flight refueling capability, the aircraft has global range, not to mention, more than three times the capacity of the C-130 Hercules, designating the C-17 as the reigning backbone of the USAF transport fleet. Despite Boeing's loss to McDonnell-Douglas for the initial contract to build the C-17, an ironic turn of events occurred at the end of the 1990's that led to Boeing's purchase of McDonnell-Douglass, thus securing the honorable rights to the C-17. As the popularity and versatility of the C-17 continues to be recognized, many of the world's air forces have added C-17 aircraft to their fleets.