C-97 Stratofreighter
Encyclopedia : C : C9 : C97 : C-97 Stratofreighter
| Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Military Transport | |
| Crew | 4 | |
| Capacity | 3,000 ft³ | 85 m³ |
| First Flight | November 15, 1944 | |
| Entered Service | ||
| Manufacturer | Boeing | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 110ft 4in | 33.7 m |
| Wingspan | 141ft 3in | 43.1 m |
| Height | 38ft 3in | 11.7 m |
| Wing Area | 1,734 ft² | 161.1 m² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 82,500 lb | 37,410 kg |
| Loaded | 120,000 lb | 54,420 kg |
| Maximum takeoff | 175,000 lb | 79,370 kg |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engine | 4 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major | |
| Power (each) | 3,500 hp | 2,610 kW |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 375 mph | 603 km/h |
| Combat range | 4,300 miles | 6,920 km |
| Ferry range | km | miles |
| Service ceiling | 35,000 ft | 10,670 m |
| Rate of climb | ft/min | m/min |
| Wing loading | 69.2 lb/ft² | 337.8 kg/m² |
| Power/Mass | 0.117 hp/lb | 0.192 kW/kg |
| Armament | ||
| none | ||
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 civilian derivative Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was highly influential in the post-war development of long-distance civil aviation.
Operators
- Israel, Spain, United States,
Specifications (C-97)
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