The U.S. Air Force is nearing the completion of its drag reduction tests for the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

In a statement announcing the final three phases of the program, the branch notes the Boeing-made military transport aircraft is one of the largest fuel consumers in the fleet. Air Force personnel have been exploring ways to make utilization more effective using 3D-printed parts supplied by Lockheed Martin.

"A 1 percent improvement in drag reduction will result in 7.1 million gallons of fuel reduction per year," project engineer Bogdan Wozniak explained. "One to 2 percent drag reduction could translate to $24-48 million dollars in fuel savings per year."

The engineering team is now preparing to test the fifth and final configuration using the Lockheed Martin designs. For the upcoming examination, the aircraft will keep 12 microvanes and 6 total fairlings, adding 2 to each winglet. Data from the tests will be sent to the Air Force Research Laboratory in Ohio for analysis.

"Aircraft and atmospheric data are collected with the aircraft flying straight and level at a constant airspeed and constant altitude with low winds and low air turbulence at 90 degrees to the wind to mitigate head- and tailwind effects. Each flight at a constant airspeed and altitude requires eight hours to acquire sufficient data for the analysis," Wozniak added.

The C-17 Globemaster III aircraft has been used to transport troops and cargo since the 1990s. Boeing provides the plane for 9 countries in addition to NATO.