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The C-9 Skytrain II is the military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 employed in US military service. The C-9 fleet is located throughout the continental United States, Europe, and Asia. The Navy and Marine Corps C-9 aircraft provide cargo and passenger transportation as well as forward deployment logistics support. The Air Force C-9s are used for medical evacuation (these aircraft are called Nightingales), passenger transportation, and special missions.

General Characteristics

• Primary Function: C-9A/C aeromedical evacuation, C-9B cargo transport
• Contractor: Boeing Aircraft Corporation (formerly the McDonnell Douglas Corporation)
• Unit Cost: $35 million
• Propulsion: Two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A turbofan engines
• Length: 119 ft 3 in (35.7 m)
• Wingspan: 93 ft 3 in (27.9 m)
• Height: 27 ft 5 in (8.2 m)
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: 108,000 lb (48,600 kg)
• Range: More than 2,000 miles (1,739 nautical miles or 3,200 km)
• Basic Weight: 65,283 lb (29,369 kg) in passenger configuration; 59,706 pounds (26,868 kg) in cargo configuration
• Ceiling: 37,000 ft (11,300 m)
• Speed: 565 mph (Mach 0.86 or 904 km/h) at 25,000 feet (7,500 m), with maximum takeoff weight
• Load: 40 litter patients or four litters and 40 ambulatory patients or other combinations
• Crew: C-9A/C, eight (pilot, copilot, flight mechanic, two flight nurses, three aeromedical technicians); C-9B, two pilots plus cabin attendants
• Date Deployed: August 1968