Aero Spacelines Super Guppy

As Guppy conversions of aircraft are called that stand out by increasing the hull. Executed they were from the U.S. company Conroy Aircraft (Santa Barbara ). The best known example is the reconstruction of the Boeing B -377 Stratocruiser. Your name have the planes of a fish: Guppies are live-bearing fish, which have a considerably distended abdomen during pregnancy - thus associations between the aircraft and this species, which led to the name of the aircraft revealed.

History

When NASA began to plan always larger rocket parts, it quickly became clear that this could only be transported by air. So Aerospace Lines gave on behalf of NASA at Conroy Aircraft rebuilding some of discarded B -377 Stratocruiser in order. The B -377 was the civilian version of the C -97 Stratofreighter, a development based on the Boeing B- 29th Only the fuselage of the B- 377 / C -97 and the drive was basically redesigned the structure and the tail were taken from the B -29. Only 56 machines of the type B -377 / C -97 were built, since the dawning jet age had to break the paragraph. The remaining machines were stored, but still had a very good condition and a few flight hours. The conversions of the B -377 became so popular that even some smaller versions for other clients were built. Meanwhile, all copies are made ​​or crashed out of service, only the NASA still uses a copy.

Airbus began long time Guppy aircraft to transport aircraft parts between the European manufacturing facilities can. The company uses the meantime, however, a self-designed, similar type of aircraft, the Airbus Beluga ( A300- 600ST ). A copy of the Super Guppy located at the Airbus plant in Hamburg -Finkenwerder.

Boeing developed for the transport of components for the Boeing 787 own transport machine based on a converted 747-400 passenger aircraft. Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter ( LCF 747 ) was developed (also called Dream lifter, in accordance with the marketing name Dreamliner 787 ) by Boeing in cooperation with the Taiwanese Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation ( EGAT ). For the reconstruction solely responsible EGAT, while the finished machines from Evergreen International Airlines ( a U.S. company with no ties to the Evergreen Group ) are operated.

Pregnant Guppy

B- 377PG ( Pregnant Guppy ): 1 built copy.

The first version was the Pregnant Guppy ( Pregnant Guppy ), later also called Mini - Guppy, which launched its maiden flight on September 19, 1962. In this plane the Stratocruiser fuselage was extended in the rear portion and the upper hull replaced by a new one with a larger diameter. The entire rear fuselage with the vertical stabilizer was hinged sideways to so load the large carrier rocket stages for the U.S. space agency NASA without any problems. Until his withdrawal, he served NASA as a transporter. Ironically, the Erstgebaute now serves the final built environment as spare parts. The special feature of this model was next to the smaller compared to the Super Guppy cargo volume remove the rear through which the cargo was loaded.

Super Guppy

B- 377SG -201 (Very Pregnant Guppy later Super Guppy ): 1 built copy.

The Super Guppy completed on August 31, 1965 their first successful flight. She was even bigger and had a turboprop engine, consisting of four T34 turboprop engines ( Pratt & Whitney T- 34P7 ), while the Mini - Guppy was still powered by piston engines. The second machine of this basic series flew on 24 May 1967. The construction and the related need to transport the new Saturn V rocket stages (Apollo program) made ​​the construction of this giant transporter required. After the conversion, it was possible zuzuladen up to 20 tonnes. For NASA, this aircraft bore the marking NASA 940

In 1990 he was asked by NASA decommissioned and is in the Pima Air Force Base, Arizona. Previously, he flew among others for the Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle and Skylab programs of NASA.

Super Guppy Turbine

B- 377SGT -201 (Super Guppy Turbine): 4 built copies

A direct development was the Super Guppy 201, were built by the first two units, which on 24 August 1970 ( N211AS ) and on 24 August 1971 ( N212AS ) their first flights completed. The Super Guppy 201 corresponded to the dimensions of the Super Guppy, but 501- D22C - propeller turbines were driven by four Allison. Thus a maximum payload of 25 t was possible. After the setting of the Apollo program, the two Super Guppy was in November 1971 ( F- BTGV ) and August 1973 ( F- BPPA ) sold to the French company Aéromaritime they commissioned by the aircraft manufacturer Airbus for the transport of large components between the different production centers and Toulouse began. Airbus Industries acquired the rights and manufacturer technical documentation of the Super Guppy 201 and was finished by the resident at Le Bourget company UTA Industries two additional aircraft. The machines were in July 1982 (F- GDSG ) and passed to the Aéromaritime in July 1983 (F- GEAI ). Simultaneously with the delivery of the third aircraft, the machines got their characteristic livery with the lettering on the fuselage Airbus Skylink. In 1989 the newly founded Airbus subsidiary, Airbus Intertransport took over four planes of the Aéromaritime and set them to 1998 into one. Meanwhile, they were replaced by the Airbus A300- 600ST Beluga. Three of the four Super Guppies have gone after her decommissioning of the main locations of the Airbus project. The one by England, France and Germany. The fourth machine, the built in France in 1983 former Airbus transporter 04, was purchased by NASA. NASA uses the plane under the name NASA a 941 (Silver hump ), among others, for the transport of modules for the International Space Station (ISS). For this, a special bracket that SGSF was developed, which is modeled on the payload bay of the Space Shuttle.

Specifications

  • Wingspan: 47.61 m
  • Length: 46.84 m
  • Height: 14.85 m
  • Engines: 4 × Allison 501 D22C with 3610 kW
  • Empty weight: 45.8 t
  • Maximum weight: 77.1 t
  • Load: 24.5 t
  • Crew: 3
  • Speed: 460 km / h; economical cruising speed: 407 km / h
  • Ceiling: 7620 m
  • Economic reach: 813 km

Mini Guppy

B- 377MG (Mini Guppy ): 1 built copy.

In the adaptations of the original engines of the model Pratt & Whitney R -4360 Wasp Major were retained. For a hinged tail was installed. After the renovation work a maximum payload of 14.5 tonnes was possible.

  • First flight on May 24, 1967
  • Owner Aerospace Lines ( until 1974 ), American Jet Industries ( until 1980 ), Aero Union ( until 1988 ), Erickson Air Crane (up to 1995). Now he is at the Tillamook Air Museum in Tillamook, Oregon.

Mini Guppy Turbine

B- 377MGT -101 (Mini Guppy ): 1 built copy.

As part of construction work new, four-leaf engines Allison 501- D22C turboprop were installed, the fuselage was lengthened and widened and built a hinged nose. After the modifications he had a maximum payload of 28.6 tonnes.

  • First flight March 13, 1970
  • Crash in flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base, California (USA) on 12 May 1970.
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