29:
271:
252:. When Van Nuys traffic control realized that Conroy intended to take off, they notified police and fire departments to be on alert. However, the huge aircraft performed flawlessly. It differed in handling from a Stratocruiser only in a slight decrease in speed caused by the drag of the larger fuselage.
244:
aircraft (G-AKGJ) was added immediately behind the wing. A new upper fuselage of 6-meter diameter was added, giving the aircraft a "triple-bubble" appearance when viewed from the front. The entire rear section, including tail surfaces, was detachable to allow cargo to be loaded directly into the
297:
The various Guppy aircraft served throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond. After the Apollo program ended, the aircraft transported airliner sections. The original
Pregnant Guppy, though, was in poor condition by this point and retired soon after the end of the Apollo program.
216:
realized that these aircraft could be modified to transport the large but relatively light rocket components. Conroy presented his plans for an extensively modified
Stratocruiser to NASA, where an official commented that the bloated aircraft resembled a pregnant
290:. As the space program grew through the late 1960s, it became apparent that the one original aircraft clearly could not handle the whole transport load, so 25 more Stratocruisers and ex-USAF C-97s were purchased to construct four
193:
to transport increasingly large rocket components from manufacturers on the West Coast to test and launch sites on the East Coast, a method that was slow and expensive. Meanwhile, U.S. airlines were disposing of their obsolete
301:
The
Pregnant Guppy was sold to American Jet Industries in 1974 and registered N126AJ. Although plans were floated to renovate the transport and return it to service, in the end it was scrapped at
460:
282:
In the summer of 1963, the
Pregnant Guppy began flying NASA cargo. Among its early duties was transporting the first and second stages of the Gemini program's
834:
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1203:
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615:. The NASA History Series. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA History Office. pp. 313–319. SP-4206. Archived from
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309:. Registered N941NA, this aircraft is currently in service with NASA and is the last Guppy aircraft still in operation.
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262:
stage three weeks faster than a barge, for a cost of $ 16.00 (equivalent to $ 157.18 today) per mile (1.6 km).
201:
in favor of the newer jet-engined airliners. Aircraft broker Leo
Mansdorf was stockpiling surplus Stratocruisers at
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1234:
287:
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34:
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in 1979. The rear fuselage and tail assembly, along with various other parts, were used to build the final
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solid-fuel assisted take-off rocket engines, 1,000 lbf (4.4 kN) thrust each for 15 seconds
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31 ft 3 in (9.53 m) to top of fuselage; 38 ft 3 in (12 m) overall
61:
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Ultra=Large
Aircraft, 1940-1970: The Development of Guppy and Expanded Fuselage Transports
573:
8:
556:
Taylor, Michael J.H. . “ Jane's
Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989.
233:
154:
was a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft built in the United States and used for ferrying
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Taylor, H. A. "Tony" (April–July 1982). "Stratocruiser... Ending an
Airline Era".
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28-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 3,500 hp (2,600 kW) each
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by
Kenneth W. Shanaberger. Updated August 31, 2004. Retrieved October 5, 2006.
616:
612:
Stages to Saturn: A Technological
History of the Apollo/Saturn Launch Vehicles
248:
The aircraft first flew on September 19, 1962, piloted by Conroy and co-pilot
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166:. The Pregnant Guppy was the first of the Guppy line of aircraft produced by
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812:
791:
Tripp, Robert S. Spring 2002, American Heritage of Invention and Technology
283:
698:(62nd ed.). London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company. p. 218.
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987:
980:
783:, by Daren Savage. Updated September 17, 2006. Retrieved October 5, 2006.
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fuselage. The wing, engines, tail, nose, and cockpit were unchanged.
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195 kn (224 mph, 361 km/h) normal operating speed
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It's a Plane: One man's obsession, it helped get us to the moon
294:
aircraft, which were even longer and larger than the original.
237:
218:
190:
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The Pregnant Guppy, with its tail removed, is loaded with a
270:
809:
Historic Wings: Daily Stories. Retrieved September 19, 2012
275:
256:
159:
92:
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Model 34E60-387 constant-speed fully-feathering propellers
312:
16:
Outsize cargo conversion of the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
921:
236:. The Pregnant Guppy (registered N1024V) used an ex-
221:. Although NASA was lukewarm on the concept, Conroy
683:. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd.
443:133,000 lb (60,328 kg) (later increased)
395:Cargo compartment : constant-section length:
170:. The design inspired later designs, such as the
1649:
1486:Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb
367:20 ft 4 in (6.20 m) cabin height
286:from the Martin Co. in Baltimore, Maryland, to
775:"Model 377 Stratocruiser Commercial Transport"
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907:
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630:
842:
229:to build and operate the concept aircraft.
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1517:
914:
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488:320 kn (370 mph, 590 km/h)
37:for testing and evaluation (October 1962)
803:by Margy Bloom. Retrieved May/June 2010.
687:
672:
608:
578:, NASA/Glenn Research Center, 1965-09-15
451:Pratt & Whitney R-4360-B6 Wasp Major
269:
721:"The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage"
696:Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1971–72
681:Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1965–66
602:
552:
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240:airframe. A 5-meter section from an ex-
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1539:Aircraft designed for the carriage of
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693:
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389:Cargo compartment : total length:
325:Jane's All The Worlds Aircraft 1971–72
321:Jane's All The Worlds Aircraft 1965–66
313:Specifications (B377PG Pregnant Guppy)
265:
1512:
895:
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777:by Boeing. Retrieved October 5, 2006.
379:1,769 sq ft (164.3 m)
1464:Boeing B-29 Superfortress in fiction
718:
712:
661:
539:
401:Cargo compartment : max height:
361:141 ft 3 in (43.05 m)
355:127 ft 0 in (38.71 m)
242:British Overseas Airways Corporation
1565:Dreamlifter (Large Cargo Freighter)
801:"The Plane That Won The Space Race"
413:Cargo compartment : max width:
407:Cargo compartment : max width:
385:29,187 cu ft (826 m)
13:
1668:1960s United States cargo aircraft
1271:Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2
232:Conversion work was undertaken by
158:items, most notably components of
14:
1704:
768:
638:"Saturn Transportation Equipment"
694:Taylor, John W. R., ed. (1971).
679:Taylor, John W. R., ed. (1965).
383:Cargo compartment : volume:
346:34,000 lb (15,422 kg)
27:
1693:Aircraft related to spaceflight
755:. No. 18. pp. 37–53.
437:91,000 lb (41,277 kg)
409:19 ft 9 in (6 m)
403:19 ft 9 in (6 m)
742:
662:Dean, William Patrick (2018).
655:
588:
566:
415:8 ft 7 in (3 m)
184:
152:Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy
1:
1673:Four-engined tractor aircraft
575:B-377 PREGNANT GUPPY AIRPLANE
532:
227:Aero Spacelines International
35:Dryden Flight Research Center
1688:Four-engined piston aircraft
1683:Aircraft first flown in 1962
461:Aerojet-General 15KS-1000-A1
7:
1258:1954 Prestwick air disaster
1245:1950 Fairfield-Suisun crash
795:"Boeing 377 Pregnant Guppy"
609:Bilstein, Roger E. (1996).
515:Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
498:
143:Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
10:
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868:377SGT Super Guppy Turbine
510:Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy
33:The Pregnant Guppy at the
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520:Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
255:The Guppy delivered the
189:In 1960, NASA was using
133:Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
1223:Accidents and incidents
725:m-selig.ae.illinois.edu
331:General characteristics
391:80 ft (24 m)
279:
225:his house and founded
397:30 ft (9 m)
273:
1478:The Wild Blue Yonder
1263:Pan Am Flight 845/26
1235:1948 Lake Mead crash
856:377PG Pregnant Guppy
807:"The Pregnant Guppy"
1240:1948 Waycross crash
1230:1948 Bleaklow crash
668:. pp. 186–187.
504:Related development
441:Max takeoff weight:
307:Super Guppy Turbine
266:Operational history
234:On Mark Engineering
43:General information
1500:Boeing B-17 family
781:"All About Guppys"
596:"All About Guppys"
427:Boeing 117 (22%);
280:
179:Boeing Dreamlifter
116:September 19, 1962
1678:Low-wing aircraft
1645:
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1506:
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1470:Birth of the B-29
1433:The Great Artiste
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719:Lednicer, David.
471:Hamilton-Standard
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1591:An-225 Mriya
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1412:Some Punkins
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1328:Dave's Dream
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728:. Retrieved
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621:. Retrieved
617:the original
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113:First flight
105:Manufactured
76:Scrapped at
62:Manufacturer
1570:Super Guppy
1447:Up An' Atom
1199:Silverplate
1105:Super Guppy
743:Works cited
479:Performance
467:Propellers:
457:Powerplant:
447:Powerplant:
292:Super Guppy
185:Development
172:jet-powered
1652:Categories
1596:Mini Guppy
1575:Skymonster
1548:In service
1498:See also:
1440:Top Secret
1356:Full House
1110:Mini Guppy
1042:Transports
648:2014-01-20
623:2010-05-03
582:2020-02-21
533:References
377:Wing area:
1363:Jabit III
1342:Enola Gay
1307:Big Stink
1204:Survivors
1194:Operators
1173:KJ-1 AEWC
1123:Airliners
761:0143-5450
469:4-bladed
365:Diameter:
359:Wingspan:
344:Capacity:
318:Data from
250:Clay Lacy
223:mortgaged
1560:BelugaXL
1457:In media
1370:Kee Bird
1314:Bockscar
1214:Variants
846:aircraft
730:16 April
499:See also
284:Titan II
203:Van Nuys
78:Van Nuys
1620:Unbuilt
1584:Retired
1209:Tip Tow
1146:Tupolev
1075:Tupolev
1039:Tankers
1005:Tupolev
933:Bombers
420:Airfoil
371:Height:
353:Length:
121:Retired
100:History
80:in 1979
1637:An-325
1627:Virtus
1555:Beluga
1489:(1980)
1481:(1951)
1473:(1945)
1290:(1956)
1282:(1956)
1274:(1956)
1266:(1955)
1253:(1952)
1182:Topics
1130:Boeing
1052:Boeing
981:YB-50C
941:Boeing
923:Boeing
882:(1970)
876:(1967)
870:(1970)
864:(1965)
858:(1962)
759:
702:
644:. NASA
560:
238:Pan Am
212:pilot
191:barges
73:Status
1153:Tu-70
1082:Tu-75
1064:KC-97
1023:Tu-85
1018:Tu-80
971:XB-44
966:XB-39
959:KB-29
954:B-29D
425:root:
338:Crew:
219:guppy
1632:RC-1
1611:VM-T
1349:FIFI
1059:C-97
1013:Tu-4
988:B-54
976:B-50
949:B-29
757:ISSN
732:2019
700:ISBN
558:ISBN
459:4 ×
449:4 ×
429:tip:
276:S-IV
257:S-IV
210:USAF
177:and
160:NASA
150:The
124:1979
93:NASA
48:Type
1335:Doc
1166:AEW
995:P2B
208:Ex-
162:'s
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541:^
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348:+
340:3
108:1
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