Lockheed C-141 B Starlifter

In May 1960, the US Air Force asked aircraft manufacturers to submit plans for jet transports to replace the aging and obsolete fleet of propeller-driven transports then in use. Boeing, Convair, Douglas, and Lockheed submitted proposals, and Lockheed's design was selected as the winner in May 1961.
The first C-141 made its maiden flight on December 17, 1963, the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the Wright brothers. Starlifters first saw extensive service in Vietnam, flying there in 1965 just a few months after full service began. Some C-141s were built to carry the more robust Minuteman missile.
After a short service period, it was discovered that the C-141 was running out of cargo space before it reached its maximum takeoff weight, and it was decided to extend the aircraft by 23 feet and add in-flight refueling capability. .
The Starlifters returned individually to Lockheed to be cut up and had two additional fuselage sections, one in front of the wing and one behind it. The newly extended aircraft were designated C-141B. The last Starlifter retired from the United States. Air Force in 2006.