Boeing Donates C-17 Fuselage to US Army for Air-Load Training

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LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 28, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] transported a 170-foot-long C-17 Globemaster III fuselage by tractor-trailer from its facility in Long Beach to Seal Beach, Calif., and then by ship to Fort Lee, Va. -- a monthlong journey that ended on Aug. 22.

As part of the military's Base Realignment and Closure initiative, the U.S. Air Force's C-17 Program, together with Boeing, transferred ownership of the fuselage to the U.S. Army during the relocation of the Army's Transportation School from Fort Eustis, Va., to Fort Lee.

The fuselage will be transformed into the Army's newest air-load trainer, replacing the concrete platform and metal shell that had previously stood in for an aircraft cargo bay during loadmaster training exercises. It had previously been used as an engineering test fuselage for stress testing and other tasks.