Convairiety, Volume 5, Number 15, July 16, 1952 Page: 8 of 8
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Page 8
CONVAIRIETY
July 16, 1952
BUSINESS END—Remarkable photo by Fred Carlile shows world's largest operational plane in
flight. In front are Capt. J. M. Pittard, M/Sgt. W. A. Moore, Capt. H. B. Wells. Behind them are
Capt. George McAnelly (obscured), Capt. R. S. Williams, M/Sgt. N. C. Hodges.
THE BIG BIRD—XC-99, which has only to visit an airport to dominate its skyline, shown at Mc-
Clellan AFB, Calif., with cargo bins ready to go aboard.
P'"'-Loaded Cargo Bins Help Speed up
Transfer of Freight From XC-99
That ancient wheeze about
“washing an elephant” gets a
horse laugh from the folks who
are used to performing a really
big job—that of loading and un-
loading the Air Force’s Convair-
built XC-99 cargo transport.
Transfer of cargo in conven-
tional aircraft presents no great
problem to loading crews. How-
ever, the XC-99’s payloads of up
to 100,000 pounds are a different
matter.
One of the major problems fac-
ing these folks is the need for
faster methods of loading and
unloading. Current figures on the
transfer of cargo speak well for
new ideas. For instance:
Members of the XC-99 crew
and civilian workers at McClellan
AFB, Calif., combined their ef-
forts recently to remove 74,149
pounds of cargo and replace it
with 83,549 pounds in three hours
and 45 minutes!
Helping to make such a load
record possible is equipment such
as self-traversing electrical
hoists, a freight platform and
pre-loaded cargo bins.
The hoists are located in each
of the XC-99s three cargo com-
partments and are capable of lift-
ing approximately 6,000 pounds
each. Two hoists have been join-
ed together on the 140-foot- long
upper deck to aid in operating the
freight elevator, which brings
miscellaneous cargo into the two-
deck levels and can lift weights
up to 10,000 pounds. In flight, it
automatically becomes a part of
the floor of the upper deck.
Probably the greatest aid to
speed in loading and unloading
was the introduction of pre-loadr
ed cargo bins in April, 1952.
These bins, built at Kelly, are
capable of handling 4,000 pounds
of cargo each.
They can be loaded prior to the
arrival of the XC-99 and can be
loaded in about four minutes
each. With a full load of pre-
loaded cargo bins, the entire load-
ing operation for a 100,000-pound
cargo can be completed in about
30 minutes, AF officials say.
Kingpins of the loading and
unloading of cargo are three load-
masters who fly with the XC-99
on all trips. Each article destined
for the XC-99 is weighed, charted
and assigned a special spot
aboard. The loading operation al-
ternates to prevent overloading
in one area that might cause the
big ship to tip up on its tricycle
landing gear.
Special computers allow the
loadmasters to plot each pound
of cargo and give the pilot the
exact weight of everything
aboard. The center of gravity
must be maintained at all times.
In addition to loadmasters and
their assistants, civilian techni-
cians help to keep track of all
cargo and its placement aboard.
Once aboard, the cargo is lash-
ed into place and checked from
time to time during flight to see
that it hasn’t shifted its position.
Air Force officials indicate that
current cargo-hauling costs of the
XC-99 compare favorably with
that of other cargo transports.
The XC-99 is now carrying cargo
at a direct flight cost of less than
three cents per ton-mile.
ALL ASHORE—Engine container is being lowered to ground
from lower cargo compartment of XC-99, using traversing automatic
hoist. Cargo handling facilities are constantly being improved.
Flight on XC-99 Like
Riding in Style on
Freight Train in Sky'
(When the Air Force's XC-99 flew one of "milk run" flights from Kelly AFB,
Tex., to McClellan AFB, Calif., last month, W. B. Weickersheimmer of Con-
vairiety, Fort Worth, and FW Photography Supervisor Fred Carlile were aboard.
Following is account of flight on "aerial freight train" carrying cargo to jumping
off point for Korean airlift.)
BY W. B. WEICKERSHEIMMER
The sun was barely over the Texas skyline when Capt. James
M, Pittard, pilot and project officer, steered the XC-99 into the
runway at Kelly and called for final check lists.
Then came the word “prepared-to-take off” followed by clearance
from the tower and full power.
“We used a little more runway
than usual,” the pilot commented
a few minutes later as he banked
into a turn and steadied on a
heading for California. “No
wind,” he added.
It was apparently an effortless
take-off but even a layman could
imagine the careful preparations
for 24 hours in advance that made
it so. The 66,646-pound payload
had been loaded; engines had
been adjusted and checked;
ground crews had poured fuel
into the 21,000-gallon capacity
tanks; electricians had checked
all circuits; ship’s officers had
made their inspections; engineers
had taken the pulse of power
plants.
As the big ship nosed upwards
there was coffee to be sipped and
the fertile farmlands around San
Antonio for scenery, though this
soon gave way to the ranges of
West Texas. Ground speed was
206 mph.
Soon the XC-99 leveled off at
6,500 feet and back in the crew
compartment the five bunks were
already loaded. More sleepy crew-
men were on mattresses. Others
started up the inevitable card
game. The scene was that of a
“caboose” on a new kind of
“freight train.”
“Come along while we check
the moorings on our cargo,”
Loadmasters M/Sgt. N. C.
Hodges and T/Sgt. A. L.
Schwanke invited and led the
way to the upper cargo deck.
The only “cargo” that shifted
was the parachute attached to
my person as I inexpertly fol-
lowed the leaders!
Back on the flight deck, an
inflight box lunch made up for a
missed breakfast. There was
fried chicken, sandwiches, cookies,
milk and heaven knows what else.
Hot soup was mine for the mak-
ing on the ship’s hot plate.
Approaching El Paso we start-
ed a climb to 10,500 feet to clear
the mountains and Capt. Pittard
asked if I’d like to take a turn
at the controls. For a few sec-
onds I had the world’s largest
operational airplane in my hands!
It’s a thrill, I can tell you. I
noticed that Pittard watched me
like a hawk.
Then Capt. George McAnelly,
third pilot, took over, and our
“milk run” continued without in-
cident until near Phoenix . Fred
Carlile mentioned that he wished
a few other airplanes were in the
sky, for picture purposes. Capt.
Homer B. Wells obliged with a
radio to Williams AFB to inquire
if any jets were in the area. A
few minutes later an F-80 zoomed
alongside.
“If he comes in much closer I’ll
pick his pocket!” I heard one
crewman wisecrack.
A few catnaps later and snow-
capped peaks appeared in the dis-
tance proclaiming the approach
of California. Scarcely had we
reached the “sunny” state before
rain began to lash the XC-99’s
sides!
However, it let up for our land-
ing at McClellan on what looks
like a “tiny” runway, compared
to the world’s largest plane.
Obediently, the big ship taxied
after a “follow me” truck and
came to a halt at its berth.
“Now for a big evening!” I
thought to myself, expecting an
exodus to whatever bright lights
might be available. But that was
a mistake. Only a few lucky crew
members got to town that night.
Most were involved in unloading
and putting aboard our homeward
load of 88,844 pounds!
When the 3 a.m. crew call
came for our flight back to
Kelly, all I could think of was:
“Hasn’t someone murdered
the bugler YET?”
A Few XC-99 Facts
_XC-99 facts in brief: Powered
by six Pratt & Whitney R-4360-
41 engines, each capable of 3,500
hp; six Curtiss props, each 19
feet long, fully reversible; gross
weight loaded, 322,000 pounds;
wing span, 230 feet; length, 182
feet; vertical fin, 57 feet high;
speed, well over 300 mph; cargo
space, 16,000 cubic feet; range,
depends upon cargo; loading ca-
pacity, 100,000 pounds cargo or
400 fully equipped soldiers.
Typical Month Logs
15 Flights For XC-99
January was a typical month
in XC-99 operations. Here’s the
log:
Number of cargo flights: 15.
Hours flown: 117.15.
Cargo carried : 1,123,000
pounds.
Ton miles flown: 820,582.
Average loading time per
10.000 pounds cargo: 54 min-
utes.
Average off-loading time per
10.000 pounds: 36 minutes.
Direct flight costs per ton
mile: $.029.
IN THE "CABOOSE"—Off duty crew men start card game to
while away time during XC-99 "milk run."
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Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation. Convairiety, Volume 5, Number 15, July 16, 1952, periodical, July 16, 1952; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1117948/m1/8/: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.