The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long-range heavy military cargo aircraft developed from the B-29 and B-50 bombers. Design work began in 1942, the first of three prototype XC-97s flew on 9 November 1944 (none saw combat), and the first of six service-test YC-97s flew on 11 March 1947. All nine were based on the 24ST alloy structure and Wright R-3350 engines of the B-29, but with a larger-diameter fuselage upper lobe (making a figure of eight or "double-bubble" section) and they had the B-29 vertical tail with the gunner's position blanked off. The first of three heavily revised YC-97A incorporating the re-engineered wing (higher-strength 75ST alloy), taller vertical tail and larger Pratt and Whitney R-4360 engines of the B-50 bomber, flew on 28 January 1948 and was the basis of the subsequent sole YC-97B, all production C-97s, KC-97s and civilian Stratocruiser aircraft. Between 1944 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several versions were built, 811 being KC-97 tankers.Bach 1996, p. 7 C-97s served in the

Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road ...

, the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. Some aircraft served as flying command posts for the

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...

, while others were modified for use in Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadrons (ARRS).

Design and development

The C-97 Stratofreighter was developed towards the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

by fitting a second lobe on top of the fuselage and wings of the

B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...

with the tail, wing, and engine layout being nearly identical.Swanborough and Bowers 1989, p. 125. The XC-97 and YC-97 can be distinguished from the

Boeing 377 Stratocruiser The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was a large long-range airliner developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter military transport, itself a derivative of the B-29 Superfortress. The Stratocruiser's first flight was on July 8, 1947. Its design was advanced ...

and later C-97s by the shorter fin, and later ones by the flying boom and jet engines on the tanker models. The prototype XC-97 was powered by the same

Wright R-3350 The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone is an American twin-row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine with 18 cylinders displacing nearly . Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp (1,640 to 2,760 kW), depending on the model. ...

engines as used in the B-29. The XC-97 took off for its first flight on November 9, 1944, just after the death of Boeing president

Philip G. Johnson Philip Gustav Johnson (November 5, 1894 – September 14, 1944) was a pioneer in the manufacturing of airplanes and in the creation and operation of commercial airlines in the United States and Canada. With backgrounds as an engineer and businessma ...

On 9 January 1945, the first prototype, piloted by Major Curtin L. Reinhardt, flew from

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in 6 hours 4 minutes, an average speed of with of cargo. The tenth and all subsequent aircraft were fitted with the

Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major is an American 28-cylinder four-row radial piston aircraft engine designed and built during World War II. First run in 1944, at , it is the largest-displacement aviation piston engine to be mass-produced in ...

engines and taller fin and rudder of the

B-50 Superfortress The Boeing B-50 Superfortress is an American strategic bomber. A post–World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, it was fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller tail fin, and ot ...

. The C-97 had clamshell doors under its tail, so that two retractable ramps could be used to drive in cargo but was not a combat transport able to deliver to primitive forward bases. The doors could not be opened in flight, but could be removed to carry out air drops. The C-97 had a useful payload of , which could include two 2½-ton trucks, towed artillery, or light tracked vehicles such as the

M56 Scorpion The M56 "Scorpion" Self-Propelled Gun is an American unarmored, airmobile self-propelled tank destroyer, which was armed with a 90mm M54 gun with a simple blast shield, and an unprotected crew compartment. History The M56 was manufactured from ...

. The C-97 featured cabin pressurization, which made long flights more comfortable. The C-97 was developed into the civilian Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, a transoceanic airliner that could be fitted with sleeper cabins and featured a lower deck lounge. The first Stratocruiser flew on July 8, 1947. Only 56 were built.Bach 1996, p. 40

Operational history

The C-97 entered service in 1947, during a period of rapid development of heavy transport aircraft. Only 77 were built before the

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is an American 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 (USAF ...

was delivered in 1950, with nearly twice the payload capacity of the C-97. The

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

operated C-97 Stratofreighters from 1949 to 1978. Early in its service life, it served as an airborne alternative SAC command post. While only 77 C-97 transports were built, 811 were built as KC-97 Stratofreighters for inflight refueling. The

KC-97 The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Design and developm ...

began to be phased out with the introduction of the

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpor ...

in 1957. Many KC-97s were later refitted as C-97G transports and equipped several squadrons of the U.S. Air National Guard. One YC-97A (45–59595) was used in the

during April 1949, operating for the 1st Strategic Support Squadron. It suffered a landing gear accident at

Gatow Gatow (), a district of south-western Berlin is located west of the ''Havelsee'' lake and has forested areas within its boundaries. It is within the borough of Spandau. On 31 December 2002, it had 5,532 inhabitants. History Gatow's existence was ...

and by the time it was repaired, the Soviet Blockade was lifted. C-97s evacuated casualties during the

. C-97s also participated in the

Biafran airlift The Biafran Airlift was an international humanitarian relief effort that transported food and medicine to Biafra during the 1967–1970 secession war from Nigeria (Nigerian Civil War). It was the largest civilian airlift and, after the Berlin air ...

, delivering relief materials to Uli airstrip in

Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...

during the

Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence f ...

. Flying under the cover of darkness and at treetop level to evade radar, at least two C-97s were lost. Boeing C-97G 0-30349 Minn ANG DM 22

Only one C-97 is still airworthy at the present day, (S/N 52-2718, named "Angel of Deliverance") operated by the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation. It is painted as YC-97A 45–59595, the only C-97 to participate in the Berlin Airlift. The Israelis turned to Stratocruisers and KC-97s when they could not buy the preferred C-130.Archer ''Aeroplane'' May 2017, p. 94. They adapted Boeing 377 Stratocruiser airliners into transports, including many using C-97 tail sections including the loading ramps. Others were adapted with swiveling tails and refueling pods. One Israeli C-97 was downed by an Egyptian

SA-2 Guideline The S-75 (Russian: С-75; NATO reporting name SA-2 Guideline) is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude air defence system, built around a surface-to-air missile with command guidance. Following its first deployment in 1957 it became one of the most w ...

missile on 17 September 1971, while flying as an electronic counter-measures platform some 12 miles from the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

Variants

;XC-97: military designation of the prototype Boeing 367, three built. ;YC-97: cargo transport, six built. 109th Air Transport Squadron Boeing C-97A Stratofreighter 49-2607

109th Air Transport Squadron Boeing C-97A Stratofreighter 49-2607

;YC-97A: troop carrier, three built. ;YC-97B: fitted with 80 airliner-style seats, later redesignated C-97B, in 1954 became C-97D, retired to MASDC 15 December 1969. ;C-97A: transport, 50 built. ;KC-97A: Three C-97As were converted into aerial refueling tankers with rear loading door removed and a flight refueling boom added. After the design was proven, they were converted back into the standard C-97A. ;C-97C: Second production version, 14 built; those used as medical evacuation transports during the Korean War were designated MC-97C. ;VC-97D: staff transport and flying command post conversions, three C-97As converted. ;C-97E: KC-97Es converted to transports. ;KC-97E :

aerial refueling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...

tankers with rear loading doors permanently closed; 60 built. ;C-97F: KC-97Fs converted to transports. ;KC-97F : 3800hp R-4360-59B engines and minor changes; 159 built. ;C-97G: 135 KC-97Gs converted to transports. ;EC-97G:

ELINT Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ( ...

conversion of three KC-97Gs. 53–106 was operated by the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...

for covert ELINT operations in the

West Berlin Air Corridor During the Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold ...

. ;KC-97G : dual-role

tankers/cargo transportation aircraft. KC-97G models carried underwing fuel tanks; 592 built. ;GKC-97G :Five KC-97Gs were used as ground instruction airframes. ;JKC-97G :One aircraft was modified to test the underwing General Electric J47-GE-23 jet engines, and was later designated KC-97L. ;HC-97G: KC-97Gs converted for search and rescue operations; 22 converted. ;KC-97H YC-97J USAF

:One KC-97F was experimentally converted into a probe-and-drogue refueling aircraft. ;YC-97J: KC-97G conversion with four 5,700 hp (4,250 kW) Pratt & Whitney YT34-P-5

turboprop A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...

s, two converted. Originally designated YC-137. ;C-97K: 27 KC-97Gs converted to troop transports. ;KC-97L :81 KC-97Gs modified with two J47 turbojet engines on underwing pylons.

Operators

Military operators

; *

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...

; *

Spanish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

; *

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

U.S. Air Force units

The following Air Force wing organizations flew the various C-97 models at some time during their existence:

Air National Guard

* 105th Aeromedical Transport Group –

Westchester County Airport Westchester County Airport is a county-owned airport in Westchester County, New York, three miles (6 km) northeast of downtown White Plains, with territory in the towns of North Castle and Harrison, New York, and village of Rye Brook, New ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

(1962–1969) **137th Air Transport Squadron * 106th Air Transport Group –

Suffolk County Airport Francis S. Gabreski Airport is a county-owned, joint civil-military airport located north of the central business district of Westhampton Beach, in Suffolk County, Long Island, United States. It is approximately east of New York City. Known ...

**102d Air Transport Squadron * 109th Air Transport Group – Schenectady Airport,

**139th Air Transport Squadron *

111th Air Transport Group The 111th Attack Wing (111 ATKW) is a unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, headquartered at Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham, Pennsylvania. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air C ...

–

NAS Willow Grove Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove or NASJRB Willow Grove was a Naval Air Station owned by the U.S. Navy and located in Horsham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States four miles (6 km) northwest of the ce ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

**103d Air Transport Squadron * 116th Air Transport Group –

Dobbins ARB Dobbins Air Reserve Base or Dobbins ARB is a United States Air Force reserve air base located in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb about northwest of Atlanta. Originally known as Dobbins Air Force Base, it was named in honor of Captain Charles M ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

**128th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) * 118th Air Transport Group –

Berry Field Air National Guard Base Nashville International Airport is a public/military airport in the southeastern section of Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1937, its original name was Berry Field, from which its ICAO and IATA identifiers are derived. The ...

Nashville International Airport Nashville International Airport is a public/military airport in the southeastern section of Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1937, its original name was Berry Field, from which its ICAO and IATA identifiers are derived. The ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

**105th Air Transport Squadron *

126th Air Refueling Wing The 126th Air Refueling Wing (126 ARW) is a unit of the Illinois Air National Guard, stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Belleville, Illinois. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command ...

–

O'Hare Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop business ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

** 108th Air Refueling Squadron *

128th Air Refueling Wing The 128th Air Refueling Wing (128 ARW) is a unit of the Wisconsin Air National Guard, stationed at General Mitchell Air National Guard Base, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. If activated to federal service in the United States Air Force, the wing is operat ...

– Gen. Mitchell Airport,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

** 126th Air Refueling Squadron * 133d Air Transport Wing – Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

**109th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) * 137th Air Transport Group –

Will Rogers World Airport Will Rogers World Airport , Will Rogers Airport or simply Will Rogers, is a passenger airport located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, about 6 miles (10 km) southwest of the city's downtown area. It is a civil-military airport ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

**185th Air Transport Squadron * 138th Air Transport Group – Tulsa Air National Guard Base /

Tulsa International Airport Tulsa International Airport is a civil-military airport five miles (8 km) northeast of downtown Tulsa, in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named Tulsa Municipal Airport when the city acquired it in 1929;Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

**125th Air Transport Squadron *

139th Air Transport Group The 139th Airlift Wing (139 AW) is a unit of the Missouri Air National Guard, stationed at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Co ...

–

Rosecrans Air National Guard Base Rosecrans Air National Guard Base or Rosecrans ANGB, is located on a portion of the Rosecrans Memorial Airport , Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA. It is the home of the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard and the Advanced Airlift Tactics Tr ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

** 180th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) * 146th Air Transport Wing –

Van Nuys Air National Guard Base : ''For the United States Air Force use of the airport (1942–1990), see Van Nuys Air National Guard Base'' Van Nuys Airport is a public airport in the Van Nuys neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. The airport is operated by Los Angeles ...

Van Nuys Airport : ''For the United States Air Force use of the airport (1942–1990), see Van Nuys Air National Guard Base'' Van Nuys Airport is a public airport in the Van Nuys neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. The airport is operated by Los Angeles Wo ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

**115th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) **195th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) * 151st Air Transport Wing –

Salt Lake City Air National Guard Base Salt Lake City International Airport is a civil-military airport located about west of Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. The airport is the closest commercial airport for more than 2.5 million people and is within a 30-minut ...

Salt Lake City International Airport Salt Lake City International Airport is a civil-military airport located about west of Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. The airport is the closest commercial airport for more than 2.5 million people and is within a 30-minu ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

**191st Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) * 157th Air Transport Group –

Grenier AFB Grenier is a surname. It is a French word for ''attic, loft,'' or ''granary''. Notable people with the surname include: * Adrian Grenier * Angèle Grenier, Canadian maple syrup producer * Auguste Jean François Grenier (1814–1890), French doctor ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

(1960–1964)/

Pease AFB Pease Air National Guard Base is a New Hampshire Air National Guard base located at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease in New Hampshire. It occupies a portion of what was once Pease Air Force Base, a former Strategic Air Command facility ...

(1964–1968) **133d Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) * 161st Air Transport Group –

Sky Harbor International Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a civil–military public airport east of downtown Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is Arizona's largest and busiest airport, and among the largest commercial airports in th ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

(1966–1972) **197th Air Transport Squadron * 162d Air Transport Wing -,

* 164th Air Transport Group –

Memphis Air National Guard Base Memphis International Airport is a civil-military airport located southeast of Downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. It is the primary international airport serving Memphis. It covers and has four runways., effective Au ...

Memphis International Airport Memphis International Airport is a civil-military airport located southeast of Downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. It is the primary international airport serving Memphis. It covers and has four runways., effective Au ...

**155th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) * 165th Air Transport Group –

Savannah Air National Guard Base Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is a commercial and military-use airport in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Savannah/Hilton Head International provides travelers with access to Savannah, Georgia, and Hilton Head Island, South Car ...

Savannah International Airport Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is a commercial and military-use airport in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Savannah/Hilton Head International provides travelers with access to Savannah, Georgia, and Hilton Head Island, South Car ...

**158th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) * 166th Air Transport Group –

New Castle Air National Guard Base New Castle National Guard Base is a United States Air Force installation under the control of the Delaware Air National Guard, located at New Castle Airport in New Castle County, Delaware. Overview The base is the home of the 166th Airlift W ...

/ Greater Wilmington Airport,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

**142d Air Transport Squadron Boeing C-97G N227AR FAR LGB 13

Civil operators

Balair Belair, legally ''Belair Airlines Aktiengesellschaft, AG'', was a Switzerland, Swiss charter airline headquartered in Glattbrugg operating out of Zürich Airport and EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. It was a subsidiary of Air Berlin and oper ...

Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, as measured by population within city limits having gained this status a ...

*Foundation for Airborne Relief (USA) * Hawkins & Powers Aviation *

Zantop Air Transport Zantop Air Transport was a United States airline formed from Zantop Flying Service in 1962. The Civil Aeronautics Board approved transfer of the operating certificate of Coastal Airlines to Zantop Air Transport, which had incorporated and becom ...

Accidents and incidents

;22 May 1947: USAF XC-97 ''43-27472'' crashed in a wheat field near

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County, Ohio, Greene and Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patte ...

and caught fire, killing five of seven crew on board. ;6 June 1951: USAF C-97A ''48-0398'' crashed near

Kelly Air Force Base Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

due to a possible asymmetric flap extension on takeoff, killing all nine crew on board. ;15 October 1951: After taking off from

Lajes Field Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base (; pt, Base Aérea das Lajes), officially designated Air Base No. 4 (''Base Aérea Nº 4'', BA4) , is a multi-use airfield near Lajes and northeast of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portug ...

, Azores, USAF C-97A ''49-2602'' of the

Military Air Transport Service The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...

went missing on a flight from Lajes AFB (LFB), Azores to

Westover Air Force Base Westover may refer to: People * Al Westover (born 1954), American professional basketball player in Australia * Arthur Westover (1864–1935), Canadian sport shooter and 1908 Olympian * Charles Westover (1934–1990), better known as Del Shannon, ...

, Massachusetts. The aircraft was piloted by Captain John Francis Dailey Jr. and had a crew of 11. A total of 50 aircraft and ships searched the intended route but no trace of the aircraft or crew was ever found. ;22 October 1951: USAF C-97A ''48-0413'' crashed and burned next to a runway at Kelly AFB, killing four of six on board. ;22 March 1957: USAF C-97C ''50-0702'' ''en route'' to

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

went missing over the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, with 10 crew and 57 passengers on board. It is the deadliest incident ever involving the C-97. ;8 August 1957: USAF C-97 en route to Hawaii from US. No.1 engine lost its propeller and damaged No.2 engine. Aircraft flew for 5 hours at 150ft altitude to land at Hilo. ;19 January 1958: USAF C-97A ''49-2597'' en route to

Wake Island Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...

from Honolulu went missing over the Pacific Ocean with seven crew on board. The navy confirmed that debris found 277 miles to the southwest of Honolulu, was wreckage of the plane. ;29 June 1964: USAF HC-97G ''52-2773'', along with USAF HC-54D ''42-72590'', were performing pararescue training and photography missions for the NASA Gemini program when the HC-54 banked to the right, colliding with the HC-97 and shearing off the wing and tail section; both aircraft crashed in the water off Bermuda, killing 17 on board both aircraft; seven survived after they jumped before the aircraft collided. The cause was probably incapacitation of the HC-54 pilot. ;26 September 1969: A Nordchurchaid C-97G, (N52676), struck trees and crashed while on final approach to Uli Airstrip, killing all five on board. ;30 July 1987: After taking off, a C-97G (HI-481) operated by

Belize Air International Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

cargo airline Cargo airlines (or air freight carriers, and derivatives of these names) are airlines mainly dedicated to the transport of cargo by air. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines. In 2018, airline cargo traf ...

) crashed onto the Mexico City-Toluca highway after the cargo shifted, killing 5 of 12 on board and 44 on the ground.

Surviving aircraft

Israel

;On display *C-97K ''035/4X-FPO'' –

Israeli Air Force Museum The Israeli Air Force Museum is located at Hatzerim Airbase in the Negev desert. The museum was established in 1977 and has been open to the public since 1991. The museum displays a variety of Israeli Air Force and foreign aircraft, as well as a ...

Hatzerim Airbase Hatzerim Israeli Air Force Base ( he, בָּסִיס חֵיל-הַאֲוִויר חֲצֵרִים, ''Basis Heil HaAvir Hatzerim'') is an air base of the Israeli Air Force in the Negev Desert on the west outskirts of Beersheba, near Kibbutz Hatze ...

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

United States

;Airworthy ;;C-97G (converted from KC-97G) *52-2718 "Angel of Deliverance" – Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation of

Farmingdale, New Jersey Farmingdale is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,329,Pima Air & Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres (320,000 m²) on a campus occ ...

, adjacent to

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) ass ...

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

. *52-2764 – Don Q Inn, next to the (now closed)

Dodgeville Municipal Airport The Dodgeville Municipal Airport was a municipal airfield near Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Originally name the Governor Dodge Quinn Airport, it operated from approximately 1967 until around 1989–1990. The property was later bought by a local construct ...

outside

Dodgeville, Wisconsin Dodgeville is a city in and the county seat of Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,984 at the 2020 census, making it the county's most populous city. Dodgeville is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hist ...

. It was used for filming commercials. *53-218 – Minnesota Air Guard Museum on the north side of the

Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport , also less commonly known as Wold-Chamberlain Field, is a joint civil-military public-use international airport located in Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory, Minnesota, United States. Although s ...

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. It has been there since November 2003."C-97G Stratofreighter/AF Serial No. 53-218."
''Minnesota Air Guard Museum.'' Retrieved: 11 March 2022.

Specifications (C-97)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Archer, Bob. "Database: Boeing C-97". ''

Aeroplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spectr ...

'', Vol. 45, No. 5, May 2017. pp. 81–97. . * Bach, Martin. ''Boeing 367 Stratofreighter, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Aero Spacelines Guppies.'' Allershausen: NARA Verlag, 1996. . * Bowers, Peter M. ''Boeing Aircraft since 1916.'' London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1989, . * Bridgman, Leonard. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1952–53.'' London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1952. * Rubinstein, Murray and Richard Goldman. ''The Israeli Air Force Story'' London: Arms & Armour Press, 1979. . * Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M Bowers: ''United States Military Aircraft since 1909.'' London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1989, .

External links

How to Fly the C97Airliners.net – The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090502051213/http://www.photovault.com/Link/Military/AirForce/Aircraft/KC-97Stratotanker.html PhotoValet – Air Force Military Aircraft: Boeing C-97 and KC-97 Stratotanker/Stratofreighter images]
Newsreel introducing the C97 showing rear ramps
{{Authority control C-0097 Boeing C-097 Stratofreighter Four-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft with auxiliary jet engines C-97 Aircraft first flown in 1944 Four-engined piston aircraft