Customer Reviews

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a general outline of the C-5 with extensive exterior photographs, the book is useful. There is also an overview of other superheavy airlifters, including the An-225, that places the unique position of the Galaxy in a world context. The text is informative and covers the full development and deployment of the aircraft. An appendix of "US Strategic Airlifter Serial Number Disposition" covers ALL US Strategic Airlifters and is very useful.

However, if you want detail photos and diagrams including interior shots then you'll be dissappointed. There are only eight interior shots of the cargo deck and none of the flight deck. Paradoxically, photos of the C-141 and An-124-100 flight decks appear in different sections. The book gives the impression that despite the competant historical perspective, it is unfinished, though it may merely be out of date! This is supported by the lack of detail on the C-5M AMP (Avionics Modernisation Program) and RERP (Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining Program), which is limited to one third of a column.

This may be a biased perspective as detail is what I was hoping to find.

Schiffer really should consider bringing this title up to date.

Highly readable, colourful in spite of the subject, this book meets, I think, the main requirements of all the "Galaxy" lovers. And if the other heavyweights are not forgotten, the C-5 does much better than just filling the bill! Big Charlies (and their operational lives) are literally everywhere in this book filled with pictures that I had never seen before - I mean, naturally, unpublished pictures... Hoping for a brand new edition (featuring ... the missing view of the cockpit ?! ), I can't help congratulating Chris Reed for this achievement. The giant is alive ! Good news...

I was a little dissapointed as I expected more on the C-5's production history and it's mission. Lots of Air Show and "Canned" Photos but none of internal views. Over 20 of the 80 or so page's deal with Aircraft other then the C-5. Does have a nice serial number list.

I was a little disappointed in the that the book has no photographs of the cockpit of a C-5 yet, the author did manage to get cockpit photos of a C-141 and a Russian An-124! Also, I would have expected some photos of the plane under construction. There were none of those. There weren't any photos of the troop compartment and not very many photos of the cargo compartment or of anything being loaded onto the aircraft. In fact, a lot of the photos appear to have been taken at airshows!