The KC-97 Stratofreighter was an aerial refueling tanker variant of the C-97 Stratofreighter (which was itself based on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress), greatly modified with all the necessary tanks, plumbing, and a flying boom.The cavernous upper deck was capable of accommodating oversize cargo accessed through a very large right-side door. After making a hasty landing, while preparing to unload the S-IVB stage, they found a gap of almost a foot wide in the nose/fuselage joint resulting in a partial redesign in the hinge latching mechanism. The design inspired other later designs, such as the jet-powered Airbus Beluga and … And while it has been replaced in most countries by the Airbus Beluga, NASA continues to use the Super Guppy. The Airbus-built Super Guppy is one of only five built, the only one still flying and the only one in NASA's fleet. It was acquired from the European Space Agency as part of a barter for flying experiments on two shuttle missions. It has been flying since 1983. the NASA super guppy flying today near The aircraft were not only used by NASA but Airbus also used them to haul components to their Toulouse assembly facility. In addition to the fuselage modifications, the Super Guppy used Pratt & Whitney T-34-P-7 turboprop engines for increased power and range, and modified wing and tail surfaces. 377SG Super Guppy 13 Biggest Military Planes in the World The Super Guppy's nose swings open 120 degrees on two 600-pound aluminum hinges. Beluga Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. Developed into. Aero Spacelines Super Guppy. The Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy was a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft built in the United States and used for ferrying outsized cargo items, most notably NASA 's components of the Apollo program. The Pregnant Guppy was the first of the Guppy line ... Aero Spacelines Super Guppy - Wikipedia Secret Weapon of Nasa – The Super Guppy: On July 16, 1969, the Saturn 5 rocket left Earth – carrying the Apollo 11 crew to the Moon. Air Travel: What is it like to fly the Super Guppy? - Quora "Edwards Tower, Thirty-eight Victor, ten miles north at 4,000 feet. Improve this answer. The B377SGT Super Guppy. The Super Guppy airframes were based on 1940s-era passenger airline airframes. “Our current aircraft, tail number 941, was acquired from Airbus through an international order in 1997. One Super Guppy remains in service with NASA. It’s the very last Super Guppy that was completed, and the only one still flying.”-John Bakalyar, program manager for the Super Guppy, NASA via CNN. 10 Monster Planes That Dominate the Skies Super Guppy A Brief History. The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy is a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft that is used for hauling outsize cargo components. The Airbus-built Super Guppy is one of only five built, the only one still flying and the only one in NASA's fleet. "O… It’s especially bland for a plane also known as the Pregnant Guppy or Super Guppy , one of the weirdest and coolest looking flying machines. NASA’s Flying Fish: Riding Aboard the Super Guppy Aircraft ... The Super Guppy was used to move parts of NASA’s massive Saturn V rocket in preparation for the lunar missions of the late 60s and early 70s, and now the aircraft is taking to the skies to assist the upcoming Artemis moon missions. The 377SGTs are not being retired because they've out-lived their usefulness, on the contrary, they're being retired because of age and high service hours. There are Super Guppies on display in various areas around the world, but as I said, as far as we know, this is the only one left flying. The loading process, which took over two hours, involved opening the Guppy’s nose and hoisting the T-38s onto a specially designed pallet that was put into the Guppy’s 25-foot (7.6-meter) diameter “stomach” of the NASA Super Guppy aircraft. NASA, however, was in need of replacing its aging original Super Guppy, which had been flying since 1965, so they purchased the youngest one in … Here are the biggest planes in the world flying today. This cargo ship carries spacecraft and rockets for NASA. It’s boring. r/aviation. The Airbus Beluga was introduced in 1995 to replace the older Super Guppy. Request landing on the dry lake." This massive rocket was crucial to achieving President Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. Later versions of the aircraft, included the Super Guppy and the Super Guppy Turbine. Originally designed for transporting large, unwieldy cargo for any client, it saw it's most of it's life in service for NASA moving large main-body parts for … During its time, the 377 was the largest airliner of its time. Still used by NASA, this is the second-largest plane ever made. The jets' parts will be cannibalized and used for other T-38s that are still flying. Post. Aero Spacelines Super Guppy. Actually many people thought the project was ridiculous and the Guppy would never land safely. Most notably, Aero Spacelines, with the Guppy line of aircraft. Have you seen the Super Guppy for yourself? March 12, 2021: NASA N941NA Super Guppy: Serial number 0004 is still in service with NASA based at the El Paso International Airport, Texas. This Super Guppy is the only one of its kind still flying, and this week's odyssey with the most important piece of the Full Fuselage Trainer is … A NASA Super Guppy transport plane "swallowed" two NASA T-38 aircraft whole March 18, right out on NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's back ramp. “Orion and the service module will be the heaviest payload ever transported in the Super Guppy,” said NASA Super Guppy program manager John Bakalyar. It was first made from a balloon fuselage which was from a Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter, and it had its first flight in 1965. The Pregnant Guppy was the first of the Guppy line of aircraft produced by Aero Spacelines. Kai Tak Ethos has brought the legend of the Super Guppy to Hong Kong, giving aviation enthusiasts the opportunity to collect a part of Skylink 1 - … NASA's single Super Guppy is based at Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center, and the space agency has no plans to retire or … By the mid-1990s, Airbus had outgrown the Super Guppies and built its own super transporter, the Beluga. You like badass planes. Interestingly, the Super Guppy that NASA still uses came from Airbus! NASA, however, was in need of replacing its aging original Super Guppy, which had been flying since 1965, so they purchased the youngest one in … NASA’s Super Guppy is the only one still flying today. The fourth and last Super Guppy Turbine, built in 1979-80 for Airbus Industrie, was obtained by NASA Johnson Space Center from the European Space Agency in late 1997 to ferry outsize components of the International Space Station from their manufacturers around the … This bloated and strange-looking aircraft was one of the lesser-known aircraft that played an important role in the U.S. space program. NASA, however, was in need of replacing its aging original Super Guppy, which had been flying since 1965, so they purchased the youngest one in Airbus' fleet. This plane is another jewel made by Aero Spacelines, and it is a big cargo plane with a large, wide body. Editorial Team Aero Spacelines Super Guppy. We continue to make library updates so that you can continue to enjoy the latest books. The only one in the world still flying. Today, even though the aircraft is nearly 55-years-old, it can still carry more cargo than the military’s Lockheed C-5 Galaxy transport. Because of its capabilities, the Super Guppy has also attracted the attention of other government departments like the Air Force, who used it to transport Northrop T-38 Talon trainers. The turboprop cargo plane was largely replaced by the Airbus Beluga for large and awkwardly shaped cargo delivery, but as long as NASA still has a use for the Super Guppy, it will continue to baffle people in the sky—and NASA … posted by eriko at 1:47 PM on February 2, 2016 [8 favorites] This comparison shows the difference in size with the Pregnant Guppy and the original 377 stratocruiser. Northrop T-38 Talon. Land to the south. With the original NASA Super Guppy going quickly, the agency bought a new one in 1997 from Airbus, which built two Super Guppy planes after acquiring manufacturing rights from Aero Spacelines. Skylink 4 was eventually acquired by NASA to transport spacecraft components and is the only Super Guppy still flying. It's the very last Super Guppy … While on the ramp I came across a still-flying example of a really rare bird, the "Super Guppy". The design inspired other later designs, such as the jet-powered Airbus Beluga and … Whale of the skies: The Super Guppy Turbine (NASA's B377SGT), super-sized cargo plane flown since 1980 and acquired by NASA in 1997, is taking off from Edwards Air Force Base en route to to its home base, near the Johnson Space Center in California http://bit.ly/subAIRBOYD The most viewed aviation channel on YouTube#AIRBOYD #AvGeek The loading process, which took over two hours, involved opening the Guppy's nose and hoisting the T-38s onto a specially designed pallet that was put into the Guppy's 25-foot (7.6-meter) diameter "stomach" of the NASA Super Guppy aircraft . The plane borrowed parts from several other aircraft, following a recipe devised by Jack Conroy, a retired US Air Force pilot. Much like the modern Belugas and Dreamlifters, which are modified versions of passenger planes with a bloated fuselage, the Pregnant Guppy was derived from one of Boeing's first airliners, the 377 Stratocruiser. Though the original aircraft have now retired, NASA’s superbly improved and modernized Super Guppy (377SGT-F) still conducts flights all across the world. “The @NASA Super Guppy is flying today. A first in the annals of aviation, and still another curiosity of this highly successful airborne aberration. Guppy Pilot. To quote NASA: “The new Super Guppy is the latest version in a long line of Guppy cargo aircraft used by NASA. The Pregnant Guppy, also known as The Super Guppy, is a modified Boeing 377 that was designed by NASA for transporting bulky components for its Apollo missions. The jets’ parts will be cannibalized and used for other T-38s that are still flying. NASA acquired the Super Guppy, which is the last Guppy aircraft still flying, in 1997. This cargo ship carries spacecraft and rockets for NASA. Airbus needed a plane that could handle large aircraft parts, and upkeep on the Super Guppy planes was not cost effective. Despite having the original nose gear replaced by a shorter but tougher 707 gear the Super Guppy must rotate and land at higher speeds and often spends several seconds rolling on the nose. The Airbus-built Super Guppy is one of only five built, the only one still flying and the only one in NASA's fleet. Anything related to aircraft, airplanes, aviation and flying. Strange news from NASA The SGT Super Guppy Transport, the last of its kind still flying, is based at Ellington Airport in Houston, near NASA's Johnson Space Center. By the 1980s they had started showing their age. Shortly after take-off one day in 1967, the crew flying the Super Guppy heard an ominous noise coming from the rear of the cockpit. A large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft, the Super Guppy refers to either of two variants: the first Super Guppy (SG), or the second "Super Guppy Turbine" (SGT).The aircraft was a successor to the Pregnant Guppy which got its name from its resemblance to (surprise, surprise) a pregnant guppy. NASA’s Super Guppy fleet were critical to the Apollo program and the race to the Moon. Airbus liked the design so they bought rights to produce it which resulted in two more of the Super Guppy Turbines. Continue browsing in r/aviation. Whilst the vast majority of these aircraft have since been retired, in favor of larger, faster and more fuel efficient aircraft. I caught up with the Super Guppy — which is the last in a small fleet of Guppy aircraft flying after 50 years — at March Air Reserve Base in southern California. Purchase a print. It replaced NASA's 377SG (N940NA), an older model of the Super Guppy, which was retired and is currently on display at Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Ariz. N941NA is the only Guppy still flying. It was acquired from the European Space Agency as part of a … This comparison shows the difference in size with the Pregnant Guppy and the original 377 stratocruiser. Search, Read and Download Book "Guppy Pilot" in Pdf, ePub, Mobi, Tuebl and Audiobooks. The sighting, filmed Thursday by Wichita resident and Stonked Podcast host Mike Marler, drew the attention of hundreds of the city’s residents who struggled to make sense of what they were seeing. The First Spacelines Super Guppy was developed from the bowed-out fuselage of a Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter and first took to the skies in 1965. Much like the modern Belugas and Dreamlifters, which are modified versions of passenger planes with a bloated fuselage, the Pregnant Guppy was derived from one of Boeing’s first airliners, the 377 Stratocruiser. The last of the breed still active, a turbine It was the successor to the Pregnant Guppy, the first of the Guppy aircraft produced by Aero Spacelines. The jets' parts will be cannibalized and used for other T-38s that are still flying. B377PG is a terrible name. Shortly after take-off one day in 1967, the crew flying the Super Guppy heard an ominous noise coming from the rear of the cockpit. "Our current aircraft, tail number 941, was acquired from Airbus through an international order in 1997. The Super Guppy’s rich space past may now be at an end. "Roger, Thirty-eight Victor. The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy is a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft that is used for hauling outsize cargo components. 11. NASA’s ‘Super Guppy’ cargo aircraft is being blamed for a recent UFO sighting over Wichita, Kansas. I recently had the chance to fly aboard the Super Guppy, giving me a new found admiration for the aircraft and its flight crew.. Three are on display, and one was scrapped. The crew, which includes two pilots, two flight engineers and three mechanics and loadmasters, wear the same patch that is attached to one …