https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_C-133_Cargomaster
The Douglas C-133 Cargomaster was a large cargo aircraft built between 1956 and
1961 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for use with the United States Air Force.
The C-133 was the USAF's only production turboprop-powered strategic airlifter,
entering service shortly after the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, which was known as a
tactical airlifter. It provided airlift services in a wide range of
applications, being replaced by the C-5 Galaxy in the early 1970s.
The C-133 was designed to meet the requirements for the USAF's Logistic Carrier
Support System SS402L for a new strategic transport.[1] The aircraft differed
considerably from the C-74 Globemaster and C-124 Globemaster IIs that had
preceded it. A high-mounted wing, external blister fairings on each side for the
landing gear, and rear-loading and side-loading doors ensured that access to,
and the volume of, the large cargo compartment were not compromised by these
structures. The cargo compartment (90 ft/27 m in length and 12 ft/3.7 m high)
was pressurized, heated, and ventilated.
C-133A of 436 MAW Military Airlift Command at RAF Lakenheath England in 1969
The Cargomasters went directly into production as C-133A; no prototypes were
built. The first Cargomaster flew on 23 April 1956. The first C-133As were
delivered to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) in August 1957 and began
flying MATS air routes throughout the world. Two C-133s established
transatlantic speed records for transport aircraft on their first flights to
Europe. The fleet of 50 aircraft proved itself invaluable during the Vietnam
War. The Cargomaster soldiered on until the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy entered service
in the early 1970s. The C-133 was then retired and most airplanes were cut up
within months of being delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson,
Arizona, after their final flights in 1971.
The C-133 was for many years the only USAF aircraft capable of hauling very
large or very heavy cargo. Despite the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II's
capabilities, there was much cargo that it could not carry because of its
configuration with a cargo deck 13 ft (4 m) off the ground and its lower, though
substantial, engine power. The C-133 continued in service after the formation of
the USAFs Military Airlift Command on 1 January 1966.
By 1971, shortly before the introduction of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, the
Cargomaster was obsolete as well as being worn out, and all were withdrawn from
service in 1971. The C-133 was originally a 10,000-hour airframe that had been
life-extended to 19,000 hours.
Specifications (C-133B)
General characteristics
Crew: six (two pilots, navigator, two flight engineers, loadmaster)
Payload: 110,000 lb (50,000 kg)
Length: 157 ft 6 in (48.0 m)
Wingspan: 179 ft 8 in (54.8 m)
Height: 48 ft 3 in (14.7 m)
Empty weight: 109,417 lb (49,631 kg)
Loaded weight: 275,000 lb (125,000 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 286,000 lb (130,000 kg)
* Cargo deck : 86 ft 10 in (26.47 m)
Performance
Maximum speed: 312 kn (359 mph, 578 km/h)
Cruise speed: 280 kn (322 mph, 519 km/h)
Range: 3,560 nmi with 52,000 lb (23,587 kg) payload (4,097 mi, 6,590 km)
Service ceiling: 32,300 ft (9,800 m)
*
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