USAF Medium Transports

In mid-1970, the USAF began a paper study, the Tactical Aircraft Investigation (TAI), with Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and other companies to look at possible tactical transport aircraft designs. This study was a precursor to what became the Advanced Medium STOL Transport program. The request for proposal (RFP) was issued in January 1972, asking for operations into a 2,000-foot (610 m) semi-prepared field at 500 nautical miles (930 km) with a 27,000 lb (12,000 kg) payload in both directions with no refuelling. For comparison, the C-130 of that era required about 4,000 ft (1,200 m) for this load. Five companies submitted designs at this stage of the competition in March 1972. On 10 November 1972 the selection was carried out, and Boeing and McDonnell Douglas won development contracts for two prototypes each. This resulted in the Boeing YC-14 and McDonnell Douglas YC-15 prototypes. Both the YC-14 and YC-15 met or exceeded the AMST specifications under most conditions. This led to a decision to procure both models and 100 aircraft each were ordered as the C-14A and C-15A. The first production aircraft were delivered in 1977. In 1991 both type received an update and were upgraded to B models. The C-14A was exported to the UK, Belgium, Norway, Qatar and Indonesia. The C-15 was exported to Taiwan, Sweden and Saudi Arabia.

Both the C-14B and C-15B are still in active service today.

Kit: 1/144 Anigrand