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Boeing C-97G Stratofreighter

The Boeing C-97 was developed after a request by the U.S. Army Air Forces for a transport aircraft based on the B-29.  The landing gear, wings, and tail from the B-29 were adapted for use with a distinctive “double bubble” pressurized fuselage to create the C-97.  First flown in 1945, the C-97 proved to be a very successful and versatile aircraft.  Boeing modified the design slightly to create their first post-war airliner, the Boeing 377.  The KC-97G version of the Stratofreighter was equipped to serve as an aerial refueling tanker and served in that capacity through the mid-1960s.  As the Stratofreighter was replaced in the tanker role by the jet powered KC-135, just over 100 of them were modified into pure cargo aircraft with the removal of their refueling boom and equipment and re-designated C-97G.  Stratofreighters and 377s also served as the basis for the giant “Super Guppy” transports.

Wingspan

141 ft 3 in.

Length

110 ft 4 in.

Height

38 ft 3 in.

Weight

142,500 lbs (loaded)

Cruising Speed

340 MPH

Service Ceiling

35,000 ft

Range

4,200 miles

Engines

Four Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radials with 3,500 horsepower each

Crew

5

Manufacturer
Boeing

Markings
International Red Cross, Biafra, 1970

Designation
C-97G

Registration
HB-ILY

Serial Number
52-2626