C-17 Fleet Database: Every Globemaster III Ever Built by Serial Number

23 min read

Every C-17 Globemaster III ever built has a story. This comprehensive database tracks all 279 aircraft manufactured between 1991 and 2015, including serial numbers, manufacturer data, operators, and current status. Whether you’re a plane spotter, aviation researcher, or military historian, this is the most complete C-17 fleet reference available.

Last Updated: January 2026

C-17 Production Overview

Statistic Value
Total Aircraft Built 279
Production Years 1991-2015
McDonnell Douglas Built MSN 50002-50044 (43 aircraft)
Boeing Built MSN 50045-50280 (236 aircraft)
USAF Fleet 222 aircraft
International Operators 52 aircraft (8 countries)

Prototype and Test Aircraft

T-1: The First C-17 Ever Built (87-0025)

Field Data
Serial Number 87-0025
MSN 50002
Line Number F1
Designation YC-17A (prototype)
First Flight September 15, 1991
Status Preserved – USAF Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB
Retired April 25, 2012
Notable Appeared in Transformers, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Superman: Man of Steel

Aircraft 87-0025 was hand-built for developmental test and evaluation with an original estimated lifespan of just five years. Through periodic rebuilds and refurbishments, it served for 21 years before retirement to the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Early Production Aircraft (Lot I)

Serial MSN Line # Name Notes
87-0025 50002 F1 T-1 Prototype, now at USAF Museum
88-0265 50005 F2 City of Altus First production aircraft
88-0266 50006 F4 — Production aircraft
89-1189 50007 F3 — Production aircraft
89-1190 50008 F5 — Production aircraft
89-1191 50009 F6 — Production aircraft
89-1192 50010 F7 — Production aircraft

USAF Fleet by Serial Number Block

The USAF acquired 223 C-17s across multiple production lots. Here are the serial number ranges:

Lot Serial Range MSN Range Quantity Delivery Period
Lot I 87-0025, 88-0265/0266, 89-1189/1192 50002-50010 7 1991-1993
Lot II-IV 90-0532/0535, 91-0164/0168 50011-50020 10 1993-1995
Lot V-VIII 93-0599/0604, 94-0065/0070 50021-50044 24 1995-1997
Lot IX-XII 95-0102/0107, 96-0001/0008 50045-50080 36 1997-1999
Lot XIII-XV 97-0041/0050, 98-0049/0058 50081-50110 30 1999-2001
Lot XVI-XIX 99-0058/0068, 00-0171/0184 50111-50160 50 2001-2005
Lot XX-XXII 01-0186/0196, 02-1098/1112 50161-50195 35 2005-2008
Lot XXIII+ 03-3113/3130, 04-4127/4138 50196-50227 32 2008-2013

International Operators – Complete Fleet Lists

Royal Air Force (United Kingdom) – 8 Aircraft

Operated by No. 99 Squadron at RAF Brize Norton. Originally leased (4 aircraft) in 2001, later purchased with 4 additional aircraft.

Serial MSN Delivery Status
ZZ171 50111 2001 Active
ZZ172 50112 2001 Active
ZZ173 50113 2001 Active
ZZ174 50114 2001 Active
ZZ175 50180 2008 Active
ZZ176 50189 2008 Active
ZZ177 50202 2012 Active
ZZ178 50232 2012 Active

Royal Australian Air Force – 8 Aircraft

Operated by No. 36 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland.

Serial MSN Delivery Status
A41-206 50153 2006 Active
A41-207 50156 2006 Active
A41-208 50169 2008 Active
A41-209 50172 2008 Active
A41-210 50221 2011 Active
A41-211 50227 2012 Active
A41-212 50251 2015 Active
A41-213 50256 2015 Active

Indian Air Force – 11 Aircraft

Operated by No. 81 Squadron “Skylords” at Hindan Air Force Station. India received the last C-17 ever built (August 2019).

Serial MSN Delivery Status
CB-8001 50240 2013 Active
CB-8002 50241 2013 Active
CB-8003 50242 2013 Active
CB-8004 50243 2013 Active
CB-8005 50244 2013 Active
CB-8006 50245 2014 Active
CB-8007 50246 2014 Active
CB-8008 50247 2014 Active
CB-8009 50248 2014 Active
CB-8010 50249 2014 Active
CB-8011 50280 2019 Active – Last C-17 Built

Royal Canadian Air Force – 5 Aircraft (CC-177)

Operated by 429 Transport Squadron at CFB Trenton, Ontario.

Serial MSN Delivery Status
177701 50166 2007 Active
177702 50168 2007 Active
177703 50170 2008 Active
177704 50173 2008 Active
177705 50266 2015 Active

Qatar Emiri Air Force – 8 Aircraft

First Middle East C-17 customer. One aircraft painted in Qatar Airways livery.

Serial MSN Delivery Notes
A7-MAA 50193 Aug 2009 First delivered
A7-MAB 50195 Sep 2009 Active
A7-MAC 50214 2012 Active
A7-MAD 50218 Dec 2012 Active
A7-MAE 50253 2015 Active
A7-MAF 50261 2015 Active
A7-MAG 50272 2015 Qatar Airways livery
A7-MAH 50275 2015 Active

UAE Air Force – 8 Aircraft

Serial MSN Delivery Status
1223 50200 May 2011 First UAE C-17
1224 50205 2011 Active
1225 50215 2012 Active
1226 50219 2012 Active
1227 50234 2013 Active
1228 50237 2013 Active
1229 50263 2015 Active
1230 50268 2015 Active

Kuwait Air Force – 2 Aircraft

World’s smallest C-17 fleet.

Serial MSN Delivery Status
KAF342 50255 Jan 2014 First flight Jan 31, 2014
KAF343 50259 2014 Active

NATO Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) – 3 Aircraft

Multinational unit based at Pápa Air Base, Hungary. 12-nation consortium.

Serial MSN Delivery Notes
01 (SAC-01) 50184 2009 Active
02 (SAC-02) 50187 2009 Active
03 (SAC-03) 50190 2009 Contributed by USAF

Notable Aircraft History

Movie Star Aircraft

87-0025 (T-1) appeared in five major films before its retirement:

  • Transformers (2007)
  • Iron Man (2008)
  • Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
  • Iron Man 2 (2010)
  • Superman: Man of Steel (2013)

Last Aircraft Built

CB-8011 (MSN 50280) was the final C-17 Globemaster III produced. It rolled out of the Long Beach factory on November 29, 2015, and was delivered to the Indian Air Force in August 2019—making India the final C-17 customer.

Resources for Plane Spotters

For real-time C-17 tracking and additional data:

  • Planespotters.net – Individual aircraft histories and photos
  • Flightradar24 – Real-time tracking (when transponders active)
  • AirHistory.net – Complete production lists
  • rzjets.net – Detailed MSN and delivery data

This database is maintained by c17pilot.com. Have corrections or additional data? Contact us.

Jason Michael

Jason Michael

Author

Jason Michael is a Pacific Northwest gardening enthusiast and longtime homeowner in the Seattle area. He enjoys growing vegetables, cultivating native plants, and experimenting with sustainable gardening practices suited to the region's unique climate.

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