https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_Spacelines_Super_Guppy
The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy is a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft that is
used for hauling outsize cargo components. It was the successor to the Pregnant
Guppy, the first of the Guppy aircraft produced by Aero Spacelines, which in
turn was named for its resemblance to a pregnant guppy. Five were built in two
variants, both of which were colloquially referred to as the "Super Guppy".
The first, the Super Guppy, or "SG", was built directly from the fuselage of a
C-97J Turbo Stratocruiser, the military version of the 1950s Boeing 377
"Stratocruiser" passenger plane. The fuselage was lengthened to 141 feet (43 m),
and ballooned out to a maximum inside diameter of 25 ft (7.6 m), the length of
the cargo compartment being 94 ft 6 in (28.8 m). The floor of the cargo
compartment was still only 8 ft 9 in (2.7 m) wide, as necessitated by the use of
the Stratocruiser fuselage.
In addition to the fuselage modifications, the Super Guppy used Pratt & Whitney
T-34-P-7 turboprop engines for increased power and range, and modified wing and
tail surfaces. It could carry a load of 54,000 pounds (24,494 kg) and cruise at
300 mph (480 km/h).
The second version was officially known as the Super Guppy Turbine (SGT),
although it used turboprop engines like the first Super Guppy. This variant used
Allison 501-D22C turboprops. Unlike the previous Guppy, the main portion of its
fuselage was constructed from scratch. By building from scratch, Aero Spacelines
was able to widen the floor of the cargo compartment to 13 ft (4.0 m). The
overall cargo-compartment length was increased to 111 ft 6 in (34.0 m), and the
improved fuselage and engines allowed for a maximum load of 52,500 lb (23,800
kg). These design improvements, combined with a pressurized crew cabin that
allowed for higher-altitude cruising, allowed the SGT to transport more cargo
than its predecessors.
The SGT retained only the cockpit, wings, tail, and main landing gear of the
377. The nose gear was taken from a Boeing 707 and rotated 180 degrees. This
dropped the front of the aircraft slightly, leveling the cargo-bay floor and
simplifying loading operations.
In the early 1970s, the two Super Guppy Turbines were used by Airbus to
transport aeroplane parts from decentralised production facilities to the final
assembly plant in Toulouse. In 1982 and 1983, two additional Super Guppy
Airbus bought the right to produce the aircraft. The four Super Guppies have
since been replaced by the Airbus Beluga, capable of carrying twice as much
cargo by weight.
Role
Outsize cargo freight aircraft
Manufacturer
Aero Spacelines / Airbus
First flight
August 31, 1965
Status
Active, operated by NASA
Primary users
Aero Spacelines
NASA, Airbus, Aeromaritime
Number built
1 SG, 4 SGT
Developed from
C-97J Turbo Stratocruiser
377 Stratocruiser Pregnant Guppy (fourth one built with cannibalized pieces from
Pregnant Guppy)
Survivors
Super Guppy N940NS (previously N1038V), serial number 52-2693, is on display at
Arizona, US.
Super Guppy Turbine F-BTGV (formerly N211AS), serial number 0001, is on static
display at the British Aviation Heritage Centre, Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome,
United Kingdom.
Super Guppy Turbine F-BPPA (formerly N212AS), serial number 0002, is on static
Toulouse-Blagnac, France.
Super Guppy Turbine F-GDSG, serial number 0003, is on static display at the
Airbus facility, Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport, Germany.
Super Guppy Turbine N941NA (formerly F-GEAI), serial number 0004, is in service
with NASA as a transport aircraft and is based at the El Paso Forward Operating
Location at the El Paso International Airport, in El Paso, Texas, US.
Specifications (Super Guppy Turbine)
General characteristics
Crew: Four
Length: 143 ft 10 in (43.84 m)
Wingspan: 156 ft 3 in (47.625 m)
Height: 48 ft 6 in (14.78 m)
Empty weight: 101,500 lb (46,039 kg)
Useful load: 54,500 lb (24,720 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 170,000 lb (77,110 kg)
Performance
Maximum speed: 250 knots (288 mph, 463 km/h)
Cruise speed: 220 knots (253 mph, 407 km/h (economical cruise at 20,000 feet
MSL))
Range: 1,734 nm (1,986 mi, 3,219 km)
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (certificated ceiling) (7620 m)
Power/mass: 9.08 lb/hp (5.52 kg/W)
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