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The McDonnell Douglas C-9 is a military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airliner. It was produced as the C-9A Nightingale for the United States Air Force, and the C-9B Skytrain II for the U.S. Naval Reserve and Marine Corps. The final active-duty flight of the C-9A Nightingale was in September 2005,〔("Historic C-9 heads to Andrews for retirement" ). US Air Force, 24 September 2005.〕 and the C-40 Clipper is replacing the Navy Reserve's aging C-9B fleet.〔(C-40A Clipper history page ). US Navy, 16 November 2000.〕〔("C-9B Skytrain II Completes 30 years of Continuous Fleet Support" ). US Navy, 2 June 2003.〕 ==Design and development== In 1966, the U.S. Air Force identified a need for an aeromedical transport aircraft and ordered C-9A Nightingale aircraft the following year. Deliveries began in 1968,〔Gunston, Bill, ed. ''The Encyclopedia of World Air Power''. New York, NY: Crescent Books, 1986. ISBN 0-517-49969-X.〕 and the C-9As were used for medical evacuation, passenger transportation, and special missions from 1968 to 2005. The C-9A aircraft were named for English social reformer Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), the founder of modern nursing. After selecting a modified DC-9 for passenger and cargo transport, the U.S. Navy ordered its first five C-9Bs in April 1972.〔 The C-9B aircraft have provided cargo and passenger transportation as well as forward deployed air logistics support for the Navy and Marine Corps. (The original "Skytrain" was the famous C-47 of the World War II era, developed from the civilian DC-3.) A C-9B was also chosen by NASA for reduced gravity research,〔(The History of C-9B Reduced Gravity Research Program ). NASA/JSC, March 25, 2008〕 replacing the aging KC-135 Vomit Comet. Many of the Navy's C-9Bs have a higher maximum gross take-off weight of and are fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks installed in the lower cargo hold to augment the aircraft's range to nearly for overseas missions along with tail mounted infra-red scramblers to counter heat seeking missile threats in hostile environments. The C-9 fleet was located throughout the continental U.S., Europe, and Asia.〔(C-9 Skytrain fact file ). US Navy, 15 April 2005.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「McDonnell Douglas C-9」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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