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C-141 Tail Number: 61-2776

If you have more or any interesting stories about this aircraft please send them along. Having been a test aircraft, there are probably hundreds of photos and stories about 61-2776. It was the second C-141 aircraft built by Lockheed in 1961, and the last C-141A in operational service.

This aircraft was the testbed for many C-141 special modifications. It was the first large military cargo aircraft to be fitted with electrically operated flight controls and flown in excess of 1,000 hours operationally.

Testing of the C-141 Electric Starlifter Program ended in July 1998. This program represented the first time in aviation history that a large military cargo aircraft has both been fitted with electrically operated flight controls and flown in excess of 1,000 hours operationally. The aircraft used for the testing was a C-141A assigned to the 418th Flight Test Squadron here. Other aircraft have flown with electrically powered flight controls in the past, but only to demonstrate that such systems were feasible. While other programs typically flew 20 or 30 test hours before completion, the Electric Starlifter was targeted for a long-duration test. The modified C-141 was used in the Air Mobility Command's air cargo transportation system to acquire at least 1,000 flying hours in an operational environment. Flying hours were gathered on cargo missions to Kwajalein Atoll, Guam, Alaska, the Amazon Jungle in Brazil and even Europe.

Once testing was completed, this aircraft was flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., where it was "deactivated." In that peculiar dialect of English called "boneyard-speak", which is spoken only in Tucson, "deactivated" means "crushed into very small pieces".

An early photo of 61-2776 fresh from the Lockheed Factory
Copyright: USAF/Lockheed
Source: submitted by Bill Watkins from his collection

Date:Unknown, but probably in mid-60's
From the George Miller collection

61-2776 in the grey/white paint scheme
Copyright: Colin Zuppicich, used with permission
Source: For more of Colin's work see: SkyHawkPhotos

Date:June 1990
Copyright: Paul Minert

Copyright: Collin Zuppich

Copyright: Normando Carvalho Jr.

At DM Boneyard
Copyright: Phil Michaels

Sitting on the grass at DM..awaiting its fate.
Copyright: Michael Baldock
Used with permission of the photographer.
You can see more of his work at www.airliners.net

Still sitting there
Copyright: Phillip Michaels
Source: www.amarcexperince.com

Copyright: Barry Geier

Brokeback C-141
Copyright: Danny Webb

A shot of the 'nose art'.
Copyright: unknown
Source: www.amarcexperince.com

A shot of the 'nose art'.
Copyright: Phil Kovaric

Last Updated: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 4:29 PM

Photo Credit Small Print