C-97 STRATOFREIGHTER

(Redirected from C-97)

The 'Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter' was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft.

Contents

Development

Users

Military Operators

USAF UnitsRarenstein, Charles. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings: Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. ISBN: 0-912799-12-9

Civil Operators

Specifications (C-97)

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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

★ : Israeli Air Force

★ : Spanish Air Force

★ : United States Air Force

USAF UnitsRarenstein, Charles. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings: Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. ISBN: 0-912799-12-9

The following USAF wing organizations flew the various KC-97 models at some time during their existence:

Air National Guard

★ 105th Air Transport Group - Stewart AFB, New York (-)

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★ 137th Air Transport Squadron

★ 106th Air Transport Group - Suffolk County Airport, New York (-)

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★ 102d Air Transport Squadron

★ 109th Air Transport Group - Schenectady Airport, New York (-)

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★ 139th Air Transport Squadron

★ 111th Air Transport Group - NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania (-)

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★ 103d Air Transport Squadron

★ 116th Air Transport Group - Dobbins ARB, Georgia (-)

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★ 128th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)

★ 118th Air Transport Group - Memphis Metro Airport, Tennessee (-)

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★ 105th Air Transport Squadron

★ 133d Air Transport Wing - Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, Minnesota (-)

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★ 109th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)

★ 137th Air Transport Group - Will Rogers World Airport, Oklahoma (-)

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★ 185th Air Transport Squadron

★ 138th Air Transport Group - Tulsa International Airport, Oklahoma (-)

★
★ 125th Air Transport Squadron

★ 139th Air Transport Group - , (-)

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★ 180th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)

★ 146th Air Transport Wing - NAS Point Mugu, California (-)

★
★ 115th Air Transport Squadron

★ 151st Air Transport Wing - Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah (-)

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★ 191st Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)

★ 157th Air Transport Group - Grenier Field, New Hampshire (-)

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★ 133d Air Transport Squadron

★ 161st Air Transport Group - Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona (1966-1972)

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★ 197th Air Transport Squadron

★ 162d Air Transport Wing - , Arizona (-)

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★ 195th Air Transport Squadron

★ 164th Air Transport Group - Memphis International Airport, Tennessee (-)

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★ 155th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)

★ 165th Air Transport Group - Savannah International Airport, Georgia (-)

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★ 158th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)

★ 166th Air Transport Group - Wilmington International Airport, Delaware (-)

★
★ 142d Air Transport Squadron

Civil Operators

★ Zantop Air Transport

★ Hawkins & Powers Aviation

★ Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation

★ Balair

Specifications (C-97)

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