The Lockheed C-141B Starlifter is a military strategic airlifter, which was first flown in 1963. It was introduced to replace the slow piston-engine cargo planes of the 1960s. Longer by 23 feet and 4 inches than its predecessor, the B variant has a bigger payload capacity that meets military standards. It is also capable of in-flight refueling. The C-141 Starlifter was developed under the orders of former US president John F. Kennedy after his inauguration. President Kennedy remotely unveiled from the White House the first-ever Starlifter. By 1965, more than 200 planes were developed for the US Air Force and NASA. Since its introduction, the military airlift command has served the USAF for more than 40 years.
The Lockheed C-141B Starlifter was a military strategic air lifter in service with the United States Air Force. The aircraft was created to replace slow piston-engined cargo planes. The C-141B Starlifter is the workhorse of the Air Mobility Command. The aircraft fulfills the vast spectrum of airlift requirements through its ability to airlift combat forces over long distances and deliver those forces and their equipment either by air, land or airdrop. The first C-141B was received by the Air Force in December 1979. Conversion of 270 C-141s from A to B models was completed in 1982. C-141 modifications aim to preserve the remaining force by reliability and maintainability improvements and capability improvements necessary for effective use through 2006. The C-141B is a stretched C-141A with in-flight refueling capability. The stretching of the Starlifter consisted of lengthening the planes 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 meters) and allowing the carriage of 103 litters for wounded, 13 standard pallets, 205 troops, 168 paratroopers, or an equivalent increase in other loads. The lengthening of the aircraft had the same overall effect as increasing the number of aircraft by 30 percent.