What is this plane? #14

[howardwhite 4]

And, since it's pretty easy, where, when, and who?

HW

[Zing 2]

I know ... I know ... I know ... but I ain't saying nothin this time.

Zing Lurks

[Bsquared 0]

KC-97, early 1970's and probably in Arizona. Just a guess.....

[freeflynick 0]

What is the black trail coming off the outer right hand side engine?? Doesn't look too healthy!

Hobbes: "How come we play 'War' and not 'Peace'?"
Calvin: "Too few role models."

[howardwhite 4]

Quote

What is the black trail coming off the outer right hand side engine??

I dunno. I scanned it and don't have access to the original print at the moment (hope to find it.) But it's not just a spill or dirt on my copy of the source material.
I thought about airbrushing it out, but didn't.
HW
(BTW, it's not Arizona.)

[fastphil 0]

Here's a strange version...

[chileman 0]

Looks like it could be a C 124 Globemaster. There is one on static display at the AFB here in Charleston, SC. I believe there was an elevator into the fuslage that could be the jump door in your photo.

[howardwhite 4]

Yeah, or this one...

HW

[piper17 1]

The original photo is, I believe, of a KC-97 which was a tanker aircraft utilized by the USAF. It was a tanker version of the Boeing B-29. It had reciprocating, radial engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney, R-4360-59 Wasp Major.

The "guppy" aircraft are in the two photos appear to have turbo-prop engines. If the airframe is based on the C-124, the "guppy" aircraft in these pictures would have been re-engined in addition to the other modifications since the original C-124s had P&W R-4360 radial engines also.

"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition"...Rudyard Kipling

[377 20]

Civilian USAF surplus Boeing C 97G, shot in Florida. Plane was used in a James Bond movie. Would love to get a good copy of this shot.

There is only one C 97 still airworthy, owned by Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation. Clay Lacy of Reno air racing fame has bought two non flyers and reportedly is going to recreate a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser for airshow work. Clay flew C 97s out of Van Nuys CA for the ANG and flew for UAL for many years. I think he is the highest time pilot in the world at present.

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[howardwhite 4]

Here's the story and a couple of additional pix, all from Spotter, Sept.-Oct. '74, by Jerry Tyson. It's long but fun:
---
"O.K., you Turkeys, you've got something to shoot for. Unless you can lay your hands on a C-97, I don't think you will get near it (the record) for awhile. Ours was success through talent and good organization--CALIFORNIA GRAND !"
---
On July 19, 1974, 33 parachutists and three free-fall photographers in Southern California got a memorandum in the mail, to wit, that they had been selected to form a large star over the Ontario Motor Speedway for the benefit of what would be known as the Pre-Telethon Air Show for Muscular Dystrophy. There would be three jumps during the actual show on August 25th (later reduced to two) and two practice jumps over Elsinore on August 4th. The aircraft would be a four-engine C-97 (Boeing 377) Stratocruiser with a rear ramp door, owned and operated by the FAR (Foundation for Airborne Relief) .
Everyone was invited to Long Beach Airport on July 20th to wash the plane...very few people showed up. Two weeks later, on August 3, again at the FAR ramp in Long Beach, there was a briefing. Everyone was introduced to the plane and its crew and most important of all, Al Kreuger and Bob Westover organized the mechanics of the jumps. They were good; just the right touch of authority and expertise, without being authoritarian and know-it-all.
The exit was single file with three sticks of ten or so, standing abreast and starting on the right. The first ten (basically the Captain Hook 10-man team) had the backs of their helmets painted red (some used red reflecting tape) while the second stick had theirs painted yellow. The first stick, with three floaters, would form a fast, red-helmeted 10-man. The second stick, with their yellow helmets, would split two reds, while the last stick would split a red and a yellow whenever possible.
The traffic problem was solved by giving everyone a consecutive number in the exit order: even numbers approached the right side, odd numbers the left side. To ensure good grips, each jumper was asked to sew an eight to twelve inch length of 5/8" heater hose inside the upper part of each arm bell. Bud Kruger spotted at the left hand side of the plane looking through a removed window panel. Jump run was at 134 m.p.h. with no cut. Hank Asciutto would open the doors about 10 miles out and Bud would start spotting. Three cameramen would be included on each load-- Ray Cottingham, Mike Jenkins and myself. Jerry Tyson.
We took off from Long Beach; about 12 minutes later we were over Elsinore at 9000 feet. This aircraft really boggles the mind (it takes me an hour and 15 minutes to go the same distance in my van). The huge double-deckered plane had two loads aboard. The star attempt and a 24-man 'snivel' load which would go out on the second pass. There was room for two more loads!!!
Hank opened the doors; Bud started spotting. We were about 14,800 feet above the ground. At what would be the 'cut' point, he dropped the mike, stepped into line and shouted "Ready:" We chimed in with the 3-2-1 count: on "TWO" the floaters popped their smoke, and on "GO" the avalanche began. Thirty three people cleared the aircraft in eight seconds. A 30-man was built: one man was in the slot when a grip was lost.

SECOND JUMP--A 31-MAN
We were in the air over Elsinore at 15,000 feet. There was another good spot by Bud Kruger and another eight second exit. The traffic was beautiful. At one point the star was heart-shaped with Mitch Poteet (30th) at the top, and Steve Fielding (31st) at the bottom. They entered, broke and the star became a righteous, round, good-flying 31-man. It was held for three to four seconds before a grip was broken. Was there screaming and shouting under the canopies? A little.

AUGUST 25--ONTARIO MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Two jumps were scheduled to be made before the crowd which was very small. The first jump built to a 24-man before it was destroyed by three jumpers in two slots. The second star attempt was moving nicely, until someone hit the 5-man and took it out. When I looked down, about 20 seconds out of the plane, there was not even a hook-up. But then things started happening. In 35 seconds these jumpers built a 30-man: In theory, the star could have been built by exiting at 8500 feet.
It was a most unusual jump, and a fine comment on the talent of all those people involved in it.
==========
The original picture and the one of the completed 31-way were by M. Anderson Jenkins; the additional exit shot by Jerry Tyson.

HW

[ltdiver 3]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

I love reading these old stories. Gives our sport the flavor it deserves!

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[377 20]

Really interesting story on these jumps. FAR had huge plans and some huge planes (some C 97s and a couple of C 133s which look like C 130 Hercs on steroids). They never got their ambitious airborne relief program off the ground partly due to FAA and Douglas doing everything possible to keep the C 133s from flying. These HUGE four engine turboprop planes had suffered in flight structural failures in USAF service and all were retired with fairly low hours (about 14,000 hours TT). FAR wanted to equip them as flying hospitals and fly to disaster areas. Only one still flies, very occasionally, out of Anchorage AK. It is not FAA legal for revenue flights but can fly on State of Alaska missions such as flying school buses to distant locations. This C 97 jump story is really interesting since everyone has told me that FAR never flew any missions other than the initial ferry flights from the government boneyards in AZ to Long Beach and to Mojave. Apparently these C 97 jump flights were the only flight operations FAR ever did. Two of their former C 133s are derelict at Mojave CA and serve as parts sources for the flyer in AK. Don't know what became of their C 97s.

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.