Initial design studies for what would become the C-27 Spartan began in 1962 for a NATO requirement for a VTOL transport aircraft. This design never went beyond the paper stage; however the Italian Air Force thought the design had promise as a replacement for their C-119 cargo planes, and in 1968 ordered prototypes that eliminated the vertical takeoff capability. The resulting aircraft, a medium sized cargo aircraft with two turboprop engines, first flew in 1970 as the G.222. The aircraft entered service with the Italian Air Force in 1978. In 1990 the U. S. Air Force adopted the aircraft as a short-range cargo aircraft for supporting the U. S. Army’s Special Forces troops and designated the plane as the C-27A Spartan. A total of 10 aircraft were purchased and were based at Howard Air Force Base in Panama. Changes in priorities resulted in the Air Force retiring the aircraft in 1999. Several of them were taken over by the U.S. Department of State and used to support foreign nations in their anti-drug operations. The aircraft were retired again in 2013 and placed in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
Wingspan
94 ft 2 in.
Length
74 ft 5.5 in.
Height
32 ft 1 in.
Weight
61,730 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed
336 MPH
Service Ceiling
25,000 ft
Range
740 miles
Engines
Two General Electric T64-GE-P4D turboprops with 3,400 horsepower each
Crew
4
Manufacturer Aeritalia
Markings U. S. Department of State Air Wing, Patrick AFB, Florida, 2013
Designation C-27A Spartan
Registration N23743
Serial Number 90-0171
Pima Air & Space Museum
Creating unlimited horizons in aerospace education through the preservation and presentation of the history of flight.