Oh, that just ain't right! Looks like something some rich Hollyweird asshole would pimp out to fly around & tell us peons about how we need to live a 10th Century lifestyle to stop Global Warming.
Heh, I am about 300 yards away from the only one left flying!! Truly a sight to behold on a bright clear sunny day, thats a whole lot of polished aluminum going on right there.
Interestingly, only 31 days earlier, the less-impressively-ugly but much more ginormous (in capacity) C-5 Galaxy took its maiden flight.
Interesting factoid: the C-5 has more unusable space in the tail behind its rear ramp than the C-130 Hercules (our basic military cargo workhorse) has in its entire available cargo area.
Meh, that bird has been in and out of here more times than I care to recall flying NASA and MICOM hardware. It sure did look buttugly and aerodynamically weird but it did the job well.
Yea matt g, but that old C-130 is still the most modified-most variant cargo aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Granted, the C-5 flies a helluvalot smoother.
Tam, that's only one of the freaky giant transport planes - you missed airbus's freaky Supertransporter(based on the A300), and Boeings new Large Cargo Freighter(based on the 747).
Both are at least as odd looking as the Guppys, and unlike the Guppys, both are active use planes.
In 1968, I was worked at a flight school at the Santa Barbara Airport. It was located across the field from Conroy Aviation. Once, when the Super Guppy had been shooting touch and goes, going round and round, for several days, I noticed that it appeared to be getting awfully close to the runway with its wheels still up. It touched down and slid slowly to a stop. Six months later, I was flying from Midland, Texas back to Santa Barbara with Jack Conroy (the owner of the Super Guppy) and mentioned the accident to him. He said that it hadn't been an accident to him. The FAA had been flying around testing everything that they could think of so that each of the local boys could get some flight time in the Guppy. All of it on his dime. He was sitting in the jump seat and noticed that the pilot and co-pilot had failed to put the gear down. He decided that he could repair the damage from a wheels up landing more cheaply than he could let them keep flying for who knew how long. He then just let them put it down on the pavement and considered the testing by the FAA as finally being complete. Woody
That is freakin' adorable.
ReplyDeleteit's so keeeeewwwt!
ReplyDeleteI want one!
I will love him and pet him and call him George.
Oh, that just ain't right! Looks like something some rich Hollyweird asshole would pimp out to fly around & tell us peons about how we need to live a 10th Century lifestyle to stop Global Warming.
ReplyDelete150,000 rivits flying in formation.
ReplyDeleteI guess the name "Super Mahi-Mahi" was ignored...
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see an H&K P7M10 I think Super Guppy. Kind of looks the same to me.
ReplyDeleteThey were impressive planes to see in the air.
Wow Tamara,
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed that you know about something as obscure as a SG.
Bravo!
There's still a Super Guppie sitting on display at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson.
ReplyDeleteHeh, I am about 300 yards away from the only one left flying!! Truly a sight to behold on a bright clear sunny day, thats a whole lot of polished aluminum going on right there.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, only 31 days earlier, the less-impressively-ugly but much more ginormous (in capacity) C-5 Galaxy took its maiden flight.
ReplyDeleteInteresting factoid: the C-5 has more unusable space in the tail behind its rear ramp than the C-130 Hercules (our basic military cargo workhorse) has in its entire available cargo area.
Meh, that bird has been in and out of here more times than I care to recall flying NASA and MICOM hardware.
ReplyDeleteIt sure did look buttugly and aerodynamically weird but it did the job well.
Yea matt g, but that old C-130 is still the most modified-most variant cargo aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Granted, the C-5 flies a helluvalot smoother.
ReplyDeleteWell that Super Guppy just reminds me that I'm one year older and working hard not to become similarly shaped.
ReplyDeleteStill I think it's pretty damn cool.
Tam, that's only one of the freaky giant transport planes - you missed airbus's freaky Supertransporter(based on the A300), and Boeings new Large Cargo Freighter(based on the 747).
ReplyDeleteBoth are at least as odd looking as the Guppys, and unlike the Guppys, both are active use planes.
I didn't miss them, it's just that yesterday wasn't the anniversary of their first flight.
ReplyDeletePlus, they are only following an ugly trail blazed by the Guppies. ;)
In 1968, I was worked at a flight school at the Santa Barbara Airport. It was located across the field from Conroy Aviation. Once, when the Super Guppy had been shooting touch and goes, going round and round, for several days, I noticed that it appeared to be getting awfully close to the runway with its wheels still up. It touched down and slid slowly to a stop.
ReplyDeleteSix months later, I was flying from Midland, Texas back to Santa Barbara with Jack Conroy (the owner of the Super Guppy) and mentioned the accident to him.
He said that it hadn't been an accident to him.
The FAA had been flying around testing everything that they could think of so that each of the local boys could get some flight time in the Guppy. All of it on his dime. He was sitting in the jump seat and noticed that the pilot and co-pilot had failed to put the gear down. He decided that he could repair the damage from a wheels up landing more cheaply than he could let them keep flying for who knew how long.
He then just let them put it down on the pavement and considered the testing by the FAA as finally being complete.
Woody