Unloading a Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter ...

[Mark Allen M]

... seems pretty simple ... or not.

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[sandiego89]

Interesting. Without researching the serial number, perhaps an early C-97 for a demo? Not sure when they started getting/retrofitting the radar nose.

The angles on the ramp do look like a challenge, especially with the truck. Guess I have to scrap any plans to outfit a C-97 as my personal VIP transport to take a ferrarri around the country as it would high-center on the ramp....

[4RG.I.'S]

More cool pics of some obscure things Mark, thanks!
I find the ramps themselves interesting, they would add a lot of weight to the rear of the aircraft. Seems like for best transport/max load potential they should be a ground based item. Then again, it could land at any capable sized airfield and be able to offload without ground support.

[Larry Kraus]

That's the XC-97 with B-29 engines and tail.

[Rocketeer]

I find the ramps themselves interesting, they would add a lot of weight to the rear of the aircraft.

Very interesting indeed! Thanks for showing these Mark!

Those ramps took some serious statics and dynamics - the aft members appear to hinge backwards when retracted. Did any production C-97's feature these as well? If so, do any surviving examples still sport them?

[Rocketeer]

That's the XC-97 with B-29 engines and tail.

Excellent observation Larry! With the dramatically increased cross-sectional area of the fuselage (compared to the B-29), plus ramps, etc - would this aircraft fitted with R-3350's have felt noticeably under-powered compared to the R-4360 powered production C-97s?

[Chris Brame]

Unloading those vehicles must have been a lot easier than backing them into the plane at that angle - would they have been winched in?

[m50a1ontos]

The C-97 in the China lake boneyard still has it's ramps.

[4RG.I.'S]

Unloading those vehicles must have been a lot easier than backing them into the plane at that angle - would they have been winched in?

Chris,
There was a winch mounted on the bulkhead behind the cockpit. I posted some photos of it in the Dodgeville WI C-97 on the thread about the C-97 that is being restored.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=54876&start=15

[b29driver]

The winch your referring to is on an I-beam that extends the entire length of the cabin. The winch moves fore and aft on that I-beam.

A tail stand was put under the fuselage just forward of the clam shell doors and cargo was lifted in or out with the winch. Cargo could be moved fore and aft in the fuselage and put down or lifted up with the winch.

The production C-97's also had a forward cargo door on the right side just aft of the cockpit. The winch could service that too.

[4RG.I.'S]

[quote="b29driver"]The winch your referring to is on an I-beam that extends the entire length of the cabin. The winch moves fore and aft on that I-beam.

In the C-97 in Dodgeville it looked as if the winch was mounted stationary and there was a block that traveled the I beam on a trolley.

[Larry Kraus]

At the real risk of Too Much Information, here are some pages from a C-97 Flight Manual concerning the ramps and hoist

[Mark Allen M]

You guys are crazy nuts with ......... Great!!!!! stuff. Thx to you all for teaching me (and many others) lots of outstanding things.

[p51]

I love the shot of the early "slat grille" Willys Jeep. Sure seems odd that they'd try doing that with the soft top on as the driver has crummy forward visibility like that.

[BAJ]

Wonderful stuff thanks Mark