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McDonnell Douglas C 9
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Introduced
1968
Engine type
Pratt & Whitney JT8D
Retired
2005
Manufacturer
McDonnell Douglas
Us marines mcdonnell douglas c 9b skytrain ii takeoffs
The McDonnell Douglas C-9 is a military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airliner. It was produced as the C-9A Nightingale for the United States Air Force, and the C-9B Skytrain II for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The final flight of the C-9A Nightingale was in September 2005, and the C-9C was retired in September 2011. The U.S. Navy retired its last C-9B in July 2014. Two C-9Bs remain in service with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Usa air force mcdonnell douglas c 9a nightingale dc 9 32cf 71 0876 cn 47475 653
Design and development
In 1966, the U.S. Air Force identified a need for an aeromedical transport aircraft and ordered C-9A Nightingale aircraft the following year. Deliveries began in 1968. The U.S. Air Force received 21 C-9A aircraft from 1968 to 1969. The C-9As were used for medical evacuation, passenger transportation, and special missions from 1968 to 2005. The C-9A were named for English social reformer Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), the founder of modern nursing.
After selecting a modified DC-9 for passenger and cargo transport, the U.S. Navy ordered its first five C-9Bs in April 1972. The C-9B aircraft have provided cargo and passenger transportation as well as forward deployed air logistics support for the Navy and Marine Corps. (The original "Skytrain" was the famous C-47 of the World War II era, developed from the civilian DC-3.) A C-9B was also chosen by NASA for reduced gravity research, replacing the aging KC-135 Vomit Comet.
Many of the Navy's C-9Bs have a higher maximum gross take-off weight of 114,000 lb (52,000 kg) and are fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks installed in the lower cargo hold to augment the aircraft's range to nearly 2,600 nautical miles (4,800 km) for overseas missions along with tail mounted infra-red scramblers to counter heat seeking missile threats in hostile environments.
The C-9 fleet was located throughout the continental U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Variants
C-9A Nightingale - 21 aeromedical evacuation aircraft based on the DC-9-32CF for U.S. Air Force delivered during 1968–69. One was converted for executive transport and stationed at Chievres, Belgium; a second aircraft was converted for VIP transport by the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base.
C-9B Skytrain II - 24 convertible passenger/transport versions for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps delivered from 1973 to 1976. An additional 5 C-9s were converted from passenger configured DC-9s.
VC-9C - 3 executive transport aircraft for the U.S. Air Force; these delivered in 1976.
C-9A (AF serial number 67-22584) is the first C-9A accepted for the Military Airlift Command, and was additionally the first American jet aircraft specifically designed for medical evacuation. It is on display at the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.
C-9A (AF serial number 71-0877) is on display at Scott AFB, Illinois
C-9A (AF serial numbr 71-0878) is on display in front of Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center at Lackland AFB, Texas
VC-9C (AF serial number 73-1682) is on display at the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover AFB, Delaware
