Lockheed NC-141A Starlifter "First of the Fleet"

 aircraft on display  Add category

Serial Number: 61-2775
Construction Number: 300-6001

The first of 285 C-141 Starlifters built for the USAF by Lockheed, S/N 61-2775 was the first of five pre-production prototype aircraft built to evaluate the C-141 airframe and made its first USAF flight on December 17th, 1963.

Shortly after completing initial flight testing duties for the US Air Force, the airframe was placed into operation with the 4950th Test Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where it would spend the balance of its career heavily engaged in flight testing and systems evaluation work for both the US Air Force and NASA. After nearly forty years of operations, the airframe was involved in its most high-profile operation as the lead aircraft for Project Eclipse in 1997, wherein the aircraft towed a fully-fueled and laden QF-104 drone from a dead stop to high altitude flight to simulate a possible method for launching manned spacecraft.

Following the completion of Project Eclipse, the aircraft was returned to USAF inventory and eventually withdrawn from frontline service as the majority of the USAF C-141 fleet was drawn down. Making her final flight from Wright-Patterson AFB to Dover AFB in 1998, she is now on public display at the AMC Museum.

amcmuseum.org/exhibits_and_planes/c-141a.php
c141heaven.info/dotcom/61/pic_61_2775.php