Boeing C-97
| C-97 Stratofreighter | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Military transport aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| First flight | 9 November 1944 |
| Introduction | 1947 |
| Retired | 1978 |
| Primary users |
United States Air Force Israeli Air Force |
| Produced | 1944–1952 |
| Number built | 77 (total of 888 in all variants) |
| Unit cost |
$1,205,000
|
| Developed from |
Boeing B-29 Superfortress Boeing B-50 Superfortress |
| Variants |
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter Boeing 377 Stratocruiser Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy Aero Spacelines Super Guppy Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy |
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter is a long-range heavy military cargo aircraft developed from the B-29 and B-50 bombers. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several versions were built, 811 being KC-97 tankers. C-97s served in the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Some aircraft served as flying command posts for the Strategic Air Command, while others were modified for use in Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadrons (ARRS).
The 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 those of the B-29 Superfortress with the tail, wing, and engine layout being nearly identical. It was built before the death of Boeing president Philip G. Johnson. It can be easily distinguished from the 377 Stratocruiser by the "beak" radome beneath the nose and by the flying boom and jet engines on later tanker models.
The prototype XC-97 was powered by the 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) Wright R-3350 engine, the same as used in the B-29. The XC-97 took off for its first flight on November 9, 1944.
The tenth and all subsequent aircraft were fitted with the taller fin and rudder of the B-50 Superfortress. The C-97 had clamshell doors under its tail, so that a retractable ramp could be used to drive in cargo. However, unlike the later Lockheed C-130 Hercules, it was not designed as a combat transport which could deliver directly to primitive forward bases using relatively short takeoffs and landings. The rear ramp could not be used in flight for air drops.
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