Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
Boeing · jet, 4 engines · ICAO C17
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III has the largest fleet on the US register among the 20 four-engine types with a registration count, and the lowest FAA reference approach speed among the 20 types in Design Group IV (the input for its Approach Category). The runner-up in US registrations, the Boeing 747-400, trails by 77.6%. The C-17’s main gear code, 2T, appears on no other type in the file. Its wingspan stops 1.2 ft short of the 171 ft line where Design Group V begins.
Airport design codes
- IV
Design Group IV. Set by wingspan and tail height alike.
- B
Approach Category B. From its FAA reference approach speed of 115 kt (band 91 to 120 kt).
Gear and weights
| Cockpit to main gear | 63.7 ft | 19.4 m |
|---|---|---|
| Max. takeoff weight | 585,000 lb | 265,352 kg |
| Max. landing weight | 446,920 lb | 202,720 kg |
| Taxiway Design Group | 5 | |
| ICAO wake category | Heavy |
Where it sits
The C-17 also has the 2nd-highest maximum takeoff weight and the 3rd-longest wingspan in Design Group IV (20 types), and the widest main gear, the tallest tail and the greatest length in Approach Category B (98 types). It also has the longest wheelbase in Approach Category B (98 types, 96 with a published figure). Among the 28 four-engine types, it has the 3rd-most US flight-plan operations in FY2024. The runner-up in main gear width, the Douglas DC-6, trails by 18.2%. The runner-up in tail height, length and wheelbase, the Ilyushin Il-76, trails by 13.8%, 13.8% and 27.4%. By length it falls between the Airbus A300B2/B4 and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
Main gear 33.7 ft wide (10.3 m), 20% of the span; wheelbase 61.8 ft (18.8 m), 36% of the length.
US records: 58,688 US flight-plan operations in FY2024; 222 on the US register.
Closest in size on this site
- Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
- Boeing 767-300
- McDonnell Douglas DC-10
- Boeing 767-200
Source: FAA Aircraft Characteristics Database, October 2024 release. How we measure.