The C-141 Starlifter was a strategic airlifter which served with the US Air Force. It was designed to replace the propeller driven cargo aircraft already in service. First flown in 1963, the airplane served for over 40 years eventually being retired in 2006. Starlifters provided heavy lifting services throughout the Cold War as well and the Vietnam War and Gulf War. More than a dozen Starlifters survive on display in museums or in storage around the United States.