Gulfstream C-37

Overview

The C-37 is a military version of the Gulfstream V business jet. It, along with the new C-32s, will replace the 89th Airlift Wing’s aging fleet of C-137s. The first C-37A (#70400) arrived at Andrews AFB in July 1998, joining the wing’s current fleet of five C-20Bs, two C-20Hs and three C-9Cs.

The C-37A resembles the C-20H (Gulfstream IV), but is eight feet longer, with a wider wing span, a more advanced avionics package and greater performance capabilities, allowing the aircraft to carry up to 12 passengers a distance 50 percent greater than the C-20B models. A typical C-37 mission will be able to fly 5,500 nautical miles without refueling, carrying Cabinet secretaries, congressional delegations or senior military leaders.

The key to the aircraft’s performance is its state-of-the-art wing design, improved aerodynamics and more powerful engines. The airframe is capable of low-speed, high-lift performance, high-altitude maneuverability, and turbulence tolerance. The BMW/Rolls-Royce BR710-48 engines moves the C-37 at a cruising speed of 600 mph. Civilian versions of the aircraft have set 15 world speed and distance records, including the first nonstop flight from New York to Tokyo. The Gulfstream V is the first aircraft of its kind, capable of cruising at altitudes up to 51,000 feet, high above most other air traffic, weather and adverse winds.

C-37As come equipped with a number of features not found on any other business jets. The avionics system is a state-of-the-art Honeywell SPZ-8500 Flight Management System (FMS) with an integrated full-function Heads-Up Display (HUD). They also come equipped with enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS), a Microwave Landing System, TACAN military navigation equipment, and a military Identification Friend/Foe (IFF) transponder.

Currently, there are three C-37s stationed at MacDill AFB, FL, two at Andrews AFB, MD, and one at Chievres, Belgium.

Specifications