C-141 Starlifter in “Green Lizard” camo, 1998. In the late 1970s, the U.S. Air Force began planning for a new transport aircraft that would replace the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter.

The C-141 dates back to the early 1960s and was replaced by the C-17. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons) In August 1981, McDonnell Douglas was chosen to build the company’s proposal, known as the ...