The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California.
The C-124 was the primary heavy-lift transport for United States Air Force Military Air Transport Service (MATS) during the 1950s and early 1960s.
First deliveries of the 448 production aircraft began in May 1950 and continued until 1955. The C-124 was operational during the Korean War, and was also used to assist supply operations for Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica. They performed heavy lift cargo operations for the US military worldwide, including flights to Southeast Asia, Africa and elsewhere. From 1959 to 1961 they transported Thor missiles across the Atlantic to England. The C-124 was also used extensively during the Vietnam War transporting materiel from the U.S. to Vietnam. Until the C-5A became operational, the C-124, and its sister C-133 Cargomaster were the only aircraft available that could transport very large loads.
I've heard from pilots who flew them that they weren't comfortable.
ReplyDeleteHi CW,
ReplyDelete"Back When" I usedta' work for Uncle Dougie' in the late 1970's on the "ACES II" program when the DC-9 and DC-10 were "KING!!" Funny though,..... all the "OLD TIMERS" still called the place........"DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT,CO" even 'After' Sandy "McDonnell" took over!! He had a "Cute Beard", 'Made him "look" "INTELLECTUAL????"
An Old Fart with an Opinion!!!
Got Gunz >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>OUTLAW!!!!,
III%,
skybill-out
I will always treasure the memory of my flight on a C-124 "Globemaster". I had just returned from Viet Nam, and decided to take a "military hop" to visit my folks in North Carolina. So, I went to McChord Air Force Base in Washington, and got on what had to be one of the final flights of the C-124 "Globemaster", hauling two UH-1 "Iroquois" helicopters to Fort Hood, Texas, and continuing on to Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, from where I would catch a C-141 "Starlifter" cargo jet to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, from where I'd catch a Trailways bus down to North Carolina.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I snuggled up under a stack of blankets and slept through most of the flight.
But, even at that time, I knew it was something very special, for the aircraft was obsolete and wouldn't be flying much longer.
When I was a boy, we went to the open house at Pope Air Force Base on Armed Forces Day, and standing on the upper deck of a C-124, I looked through the window at the wing, which seemed to be a mile long.
Growing up as an "Army brat", I was quite familiar with the C-124 "Globemaster", and the C-119 "Flying Boxcar", from which we'd watch the paratroopers make their jumps.
The deadliest military aircraft crash in history was a C-124 "Globemaster" shortly after takeoff in Japan, loaded with veterans of the Korean War going home.