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C-97 Stratofreighter
| C-97 Stratofreighter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Strategic freighter |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Produced | 60 |
| Developed from | B-50 Superfortress |
| Variants | KC-97 Stratotanker Boeing 377 Stratocruiser Aero Spacelines Super Guppy |
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft.
Contents
Development
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was developed towards the end of World War II by fitting an enlarged upper fuselage onto a lower fuselage and wings which were essentially the same as the B-29 Superfortress. The prototype XC-97 was powered by the 2,200 hp (1,640 kW) Wright R-3350 engine, and even with this the performance was impressive — on January 11. 1945 the first prototype flew from Seattle to Washington, DC in 6 hours 4 minutes, an average speed of 383 mph (616 km/h). For the remaining models the powerplants were upgraded to the 3500 hp (2,610 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major.
The military transport had a useful payload of 35,000 lb (16 t) and could carry two normal trucks or light tanks. Loading was by a retractable ramp into doors in the bottom of the fuselage, which was pressurised in flight.
About 60 C-97 transports were built, but the design really flourished in the guise of the KC-97 Stratotanker flight-refuelling tanker.
The USAF Strategic Air Command had C-97 Stratofreighters in service from 1949 through 1978.
The civilian derivative Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was highly influential in the post-war development of long-distance civil aviation.
Users
Military Operators
- The C-97 was operated by the Israeli Air Force, Spanish Air Force, and the United States Air Force
USAF Units[1]
The following USAF wing organizations flew the various KC-97 models at some time during their existence:
Air National Guard
- 161st Air Transport Group - Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona ([[]]-[[]])
- 197th Air Transport Squadron
- 146th Air Transport Wing - NAS Point Mugu, California ([[]]-[[]])
- 115th Air Transport Squadron
- 162d Air Transport Wing - [[]], Arizona ([[]]-[[]])
- 195th Air Transport Squadron
- 166th Air Transport Group - Wilmington International Airport, Delaware ([[]]-[[]])
- 142d Air Transport Squadron
- 116th Air Transport Group - Dobbins ARB, Georgia ([[]]-[[]])
- 128th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)
- 165th Air Transport Group - Savannah International Airport, Georgia ([[]]-[[]])
- 158th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)
- 133d Air Transport Wing - Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, Minnesota ([[]]-[[]])
- 109th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)
- 139th Air Transport Group - [[ ]], [[]] ([[]]-[[]])
- 180th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)
- 157th Air Transport Group - Grenier Field, New Hampshire ([[]]-[[]])
- 133d Air Transport Squadron
- 106th Air Transport Group - Suffolk County Airport, New York ([[]]-[[]])
- 102d Air Transport Squadron
- 105th Air Transport Group - Stewart AFB, New York ([[]]-[[]])
- 137th Air Transport Squadron
- [[|]] - [[ ]], [[]] ([[]]-[[]])
- 139th Air Transport Squadron
- [[|]] - [[ ]], [[]] ([[]]-[[]])
- 125th Air Transport Squadron
- [[|]] - [[ ]], [[]] ([[]]-[[]])
- 185th Air Transport Squadron
- [[|]] - [[ ]], [[]] ([[]]-[[]])
- 103d Air Transport Squadron
- [[|]] - [[ ]], [[]] ([[]]-[[]])
- 105th Air Transport Squadron
- 164th Air Transport Group - Memphis International Airport, Tennessee ([[]]-[[]])
- 155th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)
- 151st Air Transport Wing - Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah ([[]]-[[]])
- 191st Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)
Civil Operators
Specifications (C-97)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: 4:
- Length: 110 ft 4 in (33.7 m)
- Wingspan: 141 ft 3 in (43.1 m)
- Height: 38 ft 3 in (11.7 m)
- Wing area: 1,734 ft² (161.1 m²)
- Empty weight: 82,500 lb (37,410 kg)
- Loaded weight: 120,000 lb (54,420 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 175,000 lb (79,370 kg)
- Powerplant: 4× Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, 3,500 hp (2,610 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 375 mph (603 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 244 mph (212 knots, 393 km/h)
- Ferry range: 5,000 nm (5,760 mi, 9,270 km)
- Service ceiling: 35,000 ft (10,670 m)
- Wing loading: 69.2 lb/ft² (337.8 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.117 hp/lb (192 W/kg)
Related content
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
Related lists
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
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- ↑ Rarenstein, Charles. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings: Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. ISBN: 0-912799-12-9
