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YC-14 Airlifter Demonstrator

YC4 Airlifter Demonstrator
YC4 Airlifter Demonstrator

The Pima Air and Space Museum has a very Rare aircraft in its inventory. The Boeing Company YC-14 airlifter was built To Compete In Air  Force’s Advanced Medium Short Takeoff Landing [STOL] Transport (AMST) competition as a replacement 

The YC-14 was built to take advantage of high-lift aircraft configurations. Blown leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps as well as various boundary layer control systems were all investigated. NASA's Wind tunnel tests of different Shapes with Upper Surface Blowing Lift Specific, were instrumental in Boeing's final form of the YC-14's Design.


OFFICIAL US AIR FORCE PHOTOGRAPH
OFFICIAL US AIR FORCE PHOTOGRAPH

The YC-14 was built specifically to take advantage of high-lift aircraft configurations. Blown leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps as well as various boundary layer control systems were all investigated. Boeing decided instead to take advantage of research previously conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into powered lift- specifically upper-surface blowing (USB). NASA had done wind tunnel testing of experimental shapes with USB and Boeing was able to examine the data.

YC-17 At the Pima Air and Space Museum
YC-17 At the Pima Air and Space Museum

Mounting the Turbofan Engines  High on the wings was a revolutionary design, The Engines were mounted high on the wings so that the thrust was blown over the wings Upper surface Creating the Coandă Effect. This effect would blow the exhaust over the top of the wings working along side of the trailing edges of the wings and the trailing edge of the flaps when they were extended and the thrust would be deflected downward, thus creating STOL (Short Take off and Landing) Capability. The revolutionary design of the aircraft's wings were of supercritical shape to make the YC-14 a Great Short Take-off and Landing Aircraft. For  the weight and size of the aircraft.

When Testing was finally concluded in August 1977, Both Prototypes were returned to Boeing. Both YC-14 Aircraft Prototypes still exist today. One is stored at the "boneyard" at Davis Monthan AFB near Tucson. The other is on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum. The Competitor YC-15 Did not go into Production, yet served as the Basis for the C-17 Globemaster III. 

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