Douglas C-133

[Terry Carraway]

Five months from first flight to delivery? Nick Modders had mentioned to me that no test flying had been done.

April 56 to August 57.

1 year 5 months.

[Tom Charlton]

April 56 to August 57.

1 year 5 months.

Hi Terry,
Oops! Ok add another year. Still and yet, not a lot for a big complicated airplane. 133 was a great concept but needed more development. Then along came the C-5

Interesting how the smaller C-130 stood the test of time.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

[Ray Tackett]

Interesting how the smaller C-130 stood the test of time.

Looks like the Herc was based on the rugged, durable C-123, plus Lockheed's sad Electra experience with wing-mounted turboprop engines. Making a military cargo machine really strong and capable of using short, improvised runways is an excellent design basis.

[Dave Siciliano]

Bill: The more I read about the RVN war, the more clear it becomes it was a conventional war after Tet in many places. Funny, because back down in IIICorps in our A-Camps, we were still running into small bands of VC and trying to win hearts and minds. The action where I lost half out team was when they ran into an reinforced NVA anti-aircraft company. That was an exception at the time, but was becoming more common.

[Bill Bridges]

I only fought against NVA regulars on what I would consider a conventional battlefield even in Laos.

[Mase Taylor]

Interesting take-off. I don't remember ever seeing a bird that lifted off so flat. No real rotation.

The C-124 was like that too, sorta like a herd of elephants levitating.

[Ralph Jones]

The C-124 was like that too, sorta like a herd of elephants levitating.

B-47 and B-52 likewise, thanks to the bicycle gear.

[Randy Sohn]

The C-124 was like that too, sorta like a herd of elephants

Mase, interesting comment there.

When we in the MNANG changed from the C-97A's that were our original planes (former MATS at Travis AFB) to the newer (to us) C-97G's (former SAC tankers) we had to train our pilots in them. We took out the cabin/internal fuel tanks, removed the boom, etc. and now they were just straight transport aircraft. We used spare brake assemblies from the supply of SAC's parts so all the brakes were G brakes.

We used to fuel our C-97s to have enuf fuel so that we could fly two periods without refueling. One night my students and I were waiting in the line shack for the mid-period's aircraft to taxi back in so's we could crew change. Anyhow, someone said while listening for that incoming bird - "Hey, here they come now, hear that herd of elephants?"

best, randy

[Randy Sohn]

thanks to the bicycle gear.

That was the brakes Ralph, not the gear's arrangement.

best, randy

[Terry Carraway]

Hi Terry,
Oops! Ok add another year. Still and yet, not a lot for a big complicated airplane. 133 was a great concept but needed more development. Then along came the C-5

You mean compared to the F-35?

[Tom Charlton]

You mean compared to the F-35?

Careful now Terry, That 35 deal will end us up in the Hot Section<g>.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

[Terry Carraway]

Shhhhhh.