EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018: Boeing Plaza - Heavy Lifters MD-11 and C-5M Super Galaxy

By Fred Harl

When it comes to heavy lifting, these two aircraft are among the best: the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F and Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy. The MD-11 is an outgrowth of the successful DC-10 commercial airliner, with updated cockpit, aerodynamic improvements and flexible interior configurations offered during the 1991-2001 production run. The advent of the large, twin-engine transports from Airbus and Boeing created a market for the long-range tri-jet in the civil air cargo business, and the MD-11F was a perfect fit. On the military side, the C-5M Super Galaxy, like this example from Travis AFB, CA, offers an updated version of Lockheed's legendary giant cargo hauler. The fifty-two aircraft fleet was upgraded between 2001 and 2018, and is now flying with updated engines, wing structure, cockpit and internal systems that bring the type into the modern age and ready for another 20 years of service.