AZ Trip #30: Pima Air & Space Museum: Part 2: NASA & Air Force One Aircraft

Rob and a NASA aircraft

In today's blog you'll see 2 NASA Aircraft and some of the Presidential aircraft housed at the Pima County Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona!

Aero Spacelines 377-SG Super Guppy

NASA AIRCRAFT- There were 3 NASA Aircraft at the museum and of course, I had to see those. Unfortunately, they were all the way at the end of the outside area, and the air temperature was 106F, so I ducked under wings of other aircraft for shade! 
They included the Grumman Gulfstream I, the Super Guppy and a Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker.

WHAT IS THE NASA AEROSPACELINES 377-SG SUPER GUPPY?  NASA used this plane inuntil 1991.
HOW BUILT? - Guppies were built from parts of retired U.S. Air Force C-97 Stratofreighters

Dan at the NASA Grumman Gulfstream I

and airline 377 Stratocruisers.
WHAT WAS IT USED FOR? - It carried segments of rockets and much of the Saturn rocket that powered the Apollo Program was transported in the Super Guppy.! 

PRESIDENTIAL AIRCRAFT- One of the aircraft was used by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson from 1961 to 1965.  

Presidential Aircraft

The VC-118A Liftmaster

WHAT IS THE DOUGLAS VC-118A LIFTMASTER? - The C-118 is a militarized version of the Douglas DC-6 airliner. Just over 100 C-118s were acquired for use by the Air Force as passenger and cargo transports. The main difference between the military and civil versions is the installation of a large cargo door on the left side of the aircraft. The C-118s were used primarily as passenger aircraft and several eventually served in the Presidential fleet. This aircraft

served as the official Air Force One for President Kennedy. It was the last propeller driven aircraft to be designated as the primary Presidential transport.



NEXT: A LOOK AT SOME OTHER AIRCRAFT