U.S. Air Force photo.
This is a view of C-124C tail number 52-1066 (marked as 51-135) that is on display at the U. S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
There are currently ten C-124's (only one of which is an A model) on static display around the world.
DOUGLAS C-124C "GLOBEMASTER II"
The C-124 evolved from the earlier Douglas C-74 ("Globemaster I"). To facilitate cargo handling, the C-124, or "Old Shakey" as it was affectionately known, featured "clamshell" loading doors and hydraulic ramps in the nose and an elevator under the aft fuselage. It was capable of handling such bulky cargo as tanks, field guns, bull dozers, and trucks. It could also be converted into a transport capable of carrying 200 fully-equipped soldiers in its double-decked cabin or 127 litter patients and their attendants. The first flight by a C-124 took place on Nov. 27, 1949 and deliveries of C-124As began in May 1950. The USAF bought 448 C-124s before production ended in 1955. These planes performed such missions as airlift support in the Far East and Southeast Asia, resupply missions to Antarctica, refugee evacuation in the Congo and mercy flights to Morocco, Chile and elsewhere throughout the world following floods and other natural disasters. Most C-124s were transferred to the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard by 1970 and all were released from active service in mid-1974. The aircraft on display at the Wright-Patterson USAF Museum was assigned to the 165th Tactical Airlift Squadron of the Georgia ANG following its service with the USAF. It was flown to the Museum in Aug. 1975. It is marked as a C-124 assigned to the 909th Military Airlift group making supply runs to Southeast Asia in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
SPECIFICATIONS Span: 174 ft. 1 in. Length: 130 ft. Height: 48 ft. 4 in. Weight: 216,000 lbs. max. Armament: None Engines: Four Pratt & Whitney R-4360s of 3,800 hp. ea. Cost: $1,646,000 PERFORMANCE Maximum speed: 320 mph. Cruising speed: 200 mph. Range: 2,175 miles Service Ceiling: 34,000 ft. Models:
*An interesting sidenote is that the one B Model, YC-124B #51-0071, was inventoried by the Air Force on 31 August 1955 as a tanker designated YKC-124B. It is subsequently shown being converted back to YC-124B transport.
Here's a view of the interior looking aft,
U.S. Air Force photo.
and inside looking forward.
U.S. Air Force photo
The hydraulic ladder folded up against the roof in this photo provided access to the flight deck from the cargo deck. When the aircraft had a full load the ladder remained retracted and access to the flight deck was by way of a built-in ladder recessed into the bulkheads and visible on the left in this photo.
