| C-9 Nightingale/Skytrain II | |
|---|---|
_flies_over_the_Pacific_Ocean.jpg) A C-9B Skytrain II of the US Navy | |
| General information | |
| Type | Military transport aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary users | United States Air Force (historical) United States Navy (historical) United States Marine Corps (historical) Kuwait Air Force (historical) |
| Number built | 48 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1968 |
| Retired | September 2005 (USAF C-9A); July 2014 (USN C-9B); April 2017 (USMC C-9B) |
| Developed from | McDonnell Douglas DC-9 |
The McDonnell Douglas C-9 is a retired 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. Navy and Marine Corps. The final flight of the C-9A Nightingale was in September 2005,[1] and the C-9C was retired in September 2011. The U.S. Navy retired its last C-9B in July 2014.[2] The two remaining C-9s in Marine service were retired in April 2017.[3]
Despite being officially retired, one C-9B, BuNo 161529, was seen as late as November 2020 being operated by the U.S. Air Force as an experimental sensor testbed. [4]
- ^ "Historic C-9 heads to Andrews for retirement". US Air Force, 24 September 2005.
- ^ Rogoway, Tyler (19 July 2014). "The US Navy Finally Retires The C-9B Skytrain II After 41 Years".
- ^ "SEAPOWER Magazine Online". Archived from the original on 2018-12-16. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
- ^ Trevithick, Joseph (2021-08-03). "Retired Marine C-9B Jet Transport Is Getting Second Life As An Air Force Sensor Testbed". The Drive. Retrieved 2022-07-18.