XC-99 Photos

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2005 8:52 pm

A couple weeks ago someone was asking about the status of the XC-99. I got over to Kelly Field today after work and got a couple shots I thought the WIXers might find interesting...

The NMUSAF is obviously in the process of dismantling her, but I couldn't locate the other parts that have been removed anywhere close by.

C170BDan · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:06 pm

Great shots. I have heard people talk about that airframe for years and not seen any recent shots. How would you like to help move THAT one!?

You think if flies like a B25, Randy?

B-29 Super Fort · **Joined:** Wed Sep 01, 2004 11:12 am **Posts:** 871

Thanks for the photos. Even partially complete it's still a huge aircraft.

Elwyn · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:48 pm

It looks like there's air in the tires, or perhaps there's some sort of small jacks under the struts.

Eric Friedebach · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:46 pm

This one has fascinated me since I was a kid. Glad to see some preservation effort.

Is the plan to move it to Wright-Pat?

dj51d · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:51 pm

Eric Friedebach wrote:

Is the plan to move it to Wright-Pat?

The last I heard it was eventually going to go on display at the NMUSAF. I think some parts have already been moved to Dayton.

JBoyle · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:30 am

A lot of effort being expended on an oddity, with nothing except size to make it noteworthy ... rather like Howard's flying boat.
I always like seeing old aircraft preserved, but I can't help but wonder if it's the best use of limited resources.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:37 am

oh man!! it looks disemboweled & hacked!! glad there is a restoration effort on the table. 1 of a kind bottom line!!

APG85 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:49 am

Looks like it would have been easier to make it airworthy and fly it to Wright-Patt.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve T · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:38 am

I can confirm that some of the XC-99 has gone to Wright-Patterson; a year ago June the outer wing panels were already stored inside one of the hangars on the old flightline.

As to limited resources/gigantic oddball aircraft, true enough...except there's probably no museum on Earth for which that is less of a factor than NMUSAF!

S.

Brian · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:17 pm

Actually, I'm glad they are actually restoring a USAF airplane. Seems over the past few years they have simply been grabbing up whatever they can get, regardless of branch of service or country of origin.

airtanker · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:47 pm

Hi all,
As noted in quotes, I saw the big fellow on a weekly basis.
I lived near McClellan AFB in Sacramento, CA.
It would come over our house while in the down wind leg for landing.
You never missed it as the sound of those 6 engines proceeded it quite a bit.
A real wonder to see and hear. I still remember it well after 50 years.
I have a few photos of it flying over our house.
Don

Sasnak wrote:

With all due respect to JBoyle's opinion about the "oddity" of the XC-99, fact remains that this "X" aircraft actually served in the USAF for some 10 years! :shock:

In that time it flew tens-of-thousands of hours delivering cargo (it could carry 100,000 pounds at a time) from place to place, mostly running weekly trips from Kelly AFB to Travis AFB. It also made several trips overseas to Europe and Africa.

OK, I'm done, I swear. :roll:

ww2John · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:53 pm

Go here for short "update" on restoration project:

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/res/restore.htm

...actually, all it says is

"XC-99 Wingtips: Duplicate being made, using B-36 wing tip as pattern."

Previous updates have indicated the work they have undertaken to disassemble and move the aircraft.

Aircraft Mech Paul · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:24 pm

JBoyle wrote:

A lot of effort being expended on an oddity, with nothing except size to make it noteworthy ... rather like Howard's flying boat.
I always like seeing old aircraft preserved, but I can't help but wonder if it's the best use of limited resources.

Hmmm,

I can't agree with you on this point. The XC-99 was a noble effort. If I am not mistaken Pan Am wanted to order the thing for their long haul routes, but the B-36 project was in full swing at the time. And being as it was a huge project cost wise Pan Am wouldn't have been able to make good use of it when the Jet era began. As a side note, my father is a Korean War vet with a C-119 wing out of Germany. He saw that aircraft (I think only one was ever built) flying for the Air Force on several occasions so I don't think of it some much as an oddity as rather a different direction of an ongoing project in the B-36.

Just my two cents,

Paul

RickH · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:20 pm

I spoke with a guy who's Dad was a pilot in SAC. His Dad and the rest of a B-36 flight crew was sent down to Kelly to pickup (steal) the XC-99 for SAC by LeMay.Supposedly LeMay said it was a B-36 variant and therefore belonged to SAC. He was made to give it back.

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