"Say type..."

ettsn

ettsn

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
288
Location
Atlanta, GA
Display Name
Display name:
ettsn
I was just watching an episode of Mighty Planes on the Super Guppy. They showed an enroute clip where ATC queried "Say type..." and the pilot responded "Type is Super Guppy" "Super Guppy?" "Yep. I'll give you a second to Google it (chuckle)"

Made me laugh. :D

78070-flight_b.jpg
 
Amazing plane. When I was at Eglin AFB it used to fly in regularly. Based on a Boeing 337, which was used by airlines such as NWA, and as an Air Force tanker, KC-97.

upload_2017-5-31_18-6-53.png

Here's POA's Shepherd filling up (hey it might be him):

upload_2017-5-31_18-9-14.png
 
you have to think that when they put this plane in a wind tunnel, everyone was thinking " this should be interesting "
 
I actually have a little over 6 hours as a co-pilot in a C-97G variant. It belonged to the 105th Air Transport Group (ANG) out of Westchester County Airport. I was still a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol. I flew right seat from Westchester to Huntsville, AL to visit the Redstone Arsenal. We were there for the test firing of the Saturn 5 booster. That was 4 years before they landed on the moon.
You had to work hard to fly it, but the sound of those four R2800's was amazing.

I only did one air to air with a KC-97. It was the from the 128th out of Mitchell ANG in Wisconsin.
One was enough, thank you very much.
The 97 was already obsolete and too slow for the F-4. (I think) All of them had already been phased out, except for the ANG.
The 97 had to be going down hill to go fast enough to keep the "DU"s from stalling and falling out of the sky. Conventional wisdom said, if you had a full load under the wings and needed a drink from the 97, you were probably going to walk home.
I was nothing but lucky that day. The KC-135 I was supposed to refuel from scratched because of mechanical problems. The only thing that could get to me in time was the Niner seven, which was feeding some F-100s on a ANG training flight.
The fuel driver and his crew were top shelf and saved my bacon. No bout adoubt it.
 
G-Man said:
I believe the cargo space was used to store sectionals for long solo cross-country flights, before the pilots got an EFB. Right?
Click to expand...
Naw, it was used to tanker fuel so cheap pilots only had to fill up once and the very cheapest fuel stop they could find.... :D
 
Bill Jennings said:
Damn, look at the AoA the 4 has to maintain to fly behind the 97. It's a wonder it doesn't fall out of the sky.
Click to expand...

One thing I always heard about the F-4 was give it enough power and it proves the theory that a brink can fly. :D

Obviously why they went to the KC-135. I don't remember if the F-104 was airborne refuelable or not, but if it were, I can only imagine the AOA with it's stubby wings.
 
I had dinner with the super guppy crew once. The pilots joke that most people fly planes with the pointy end in the front. He says you fly it by advancing the throttles and then putting both hands on the yoke. You leave them there until you are on the ground again. The flight engineer handles power settings. The thing is a bit unwieldy to fly and it can't get much above 24,000 so it doesn't get to top out the weather like the jets do.
 
I always heard the 747 that carries the Space Shuttle only flew in the low teens due to all that drag. It had numerous fuel stops on the way back to the Cape, one being Eglin as it had the required runway length. Think it was 10,000' or 12,000' the 747 required.
 
mscard88 said:
I always heard the 747 that carries the Space Shuttle only flew in the low teens due to all that drag. It had numerous fuel stops on the way back to the Cape, one being Eglin as it had the required runway length. Think it was 10,000' or 12,000' the 747 required.
Click to expand...
Indeed. The service ceiling with the shuttle is only 15,000. It has a range of 1,150 miles and can only cruise at 250MPH while carrying a shuttle.
And yes, this photo is legitimate. My wife had one in her office signed by the crew of the shuttle carrier. It was one of their last flights delivering Discovery to Hazy and taking Enterprise up to New York.

Shuttle_mounting_point.JPG
 
flyingron said:
I had dinner with the super guppy crew once. The pilots joke that most people fly planes with the pointy end in the front. He says you fly it by advancing the throttles and then putting both hands on the yoke. You leave them there until you are on the ground again. The flight engineer handles power settings. The thing is a bit unwieldy to fly and it can't get much above 24,000 so it doesn't get to top out the weather like the jets do.
Click to expand...

The hardest working guy on the KC-97 was the Flight Engineer.
Said he: "His Majesty sits up there and pushes for full power, and I have to figure out how to do that and not have everything go up in flames."
Watching him work was amazing. His hands never stopped moving. Thinking about it all these years later, it was, and still is, impressive.
 
Shepherd said:
I only did one air to air with a KC-97. It was the from the 128th out of Mitchell ANG in Wisconsin.
One was enough, thank you very much.
The 97 was already obsolete and too slow for the F-4. (I think) All of them had already been phased out, except for the ANG.
The 97 had to be going down hill to go fast enough to keep the "DU"s from stalling and falling out of the sky. Conventional wisdom said, if you had a full load under the wings and needed a drink from the 97, you were probably going to walk home.
Click to expand...

Was it one of the ones with the jets added?
 
Just curious, If you are straight and level in that thing and you're shooting free throws, do they shoot "true" and does it matter which goal (forward / aft) you're shooting to?
 
Used to know a wrench turner on the KC-97. His absolute nightmare was an improper shutdown of the R-4360's leading to fouling of the gazzilion plugs on those hummers.

Cheers
 
arkvet said:
Just curious, If you are straight and level in that thing and you're shooting free throws, do they shoot "true" and does it matter which goal (forward / aft) you're shooting to?
Click to expand...
Newton just turned over.
 
arkvet said:
Just curious, If you are straight and level in that thing and you're shooting free throws, do they shoot "true" and does it matter which goal (forward / aft) you're shooting to?
Click to expand...
And what if the shooter is on a treadmill?
 
Good Lord. 4 rows, 28 cylinders and 56 plugs.

Me likey.

How many gallons of oil did it burn per hour??:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top