The story
Boeing built the C-97 by putting a second, upper lobe on the fuselage of the B-29, keeping a nearly identical wing, tail and engine layout, and most of the 888 built were KC-97 tankers that refuelled Strategic Air Command's jets through the 1950s. The problem was that a piston tanker could barely keep up with a jet bomber, so 81 tankers became KC-97Ls with two extra jet engines under the wings. Its airliner twin was the Stratocruiser. The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation restored one, Angel of Deliverance, to flying condition.
The KC-97L carried six engines: four big radials and two General Electric J47 jets on underwing pylons, the same jet family that powered the F-86 Sabre, added so it could keep pace with the jets it refuelled.
Quick answers
How do you identify a C-97 Stratofreighter?
A huge, deep fuselage with a figure-eight cross-section, four radials, and a tall single fin. The KC-97L carries a jet pod under each outer wing.
What does a C-97 Stratofreighter sound like?
Four of the biggest piston engines ever mass-produced, a thunderous rumble that shakes the ground.
How fast is the C-97 Stratofreighter?
Top speed is 326 kts.
How many people does the C-97 Stratofreighter carry?
Typical configuration: Crew of 5-6.
How far can the C-97 Stratofreighter fly?
Range is about 3,700 nmi.
How big is the C-97 Stratofreighter?
It is 117 ft 5 in (KC-97); 110 ft 4 in (C-97) long and 141 ft 3 in across the wings.
When did the C-97 Stratofreighter first fly?
Its first flight was in 1944.
How many C-97 Stratofreighters have been built?
888 built.
How rare is a C-97 Stratofreighter in Bogey?
RARE. A good day. Most spotters go weeks between sightings of something this rare. Your first C-97 Stratofreighter catch is worth 250 points.
