This plane had an incredibly successful service life for a prototype. Its a tribute to the expertise of the Convair design team that they could get it so right on the first version. It was also interesting to see the evolution of the landing gear during its development. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the multi-wheel under carriage was pioneered on this plane, a truly ground breaking achievment.
it sits in that weird spot alongside the PRR S1 of prototypes that where incredibly good as individual units but not good enough (or held back by factors beyond their control) to justify a production order.
The bogie undercarriage was developed for the B-36 first, (as the B-36 prototype was cracking runways early on), and fitted to the XC-99 later, (as Ed mentions in the video).
It was around this time that large aircraft generally were moving over from large single mainwheels to smaller multi wheel arrangements and quite a few started out with singles but in production had multis, I think the Comet was one. Part of it was the realisation that grass runways just wouldn't cut it, coupled with the large number of concrete or tarmac runways built for wartime needs.
This is exactly why "The Complete Book of Fighters" was the first coffee table volume I asked for as a birthday present when I was a kid. There's so much weird crap in there. Like conditional biplanes.
I hear this. I have literally just today been at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum, which among several other weird and wonderful craft, plays host to an IAI Arava. Look it up - it’s an aviation oddity for sure.
My uncle who was in the USAF in the Korean War and for a couple years afterward, said that every time the XC-99 flew, every nut, bolt, and rivet, had to be checked to make sure they were tight. This was due to the vibration from the Wasp Major engines. The crew chiefs at Wright-Patterson told him that the plane was a maintenance nightmare because of that. Combine that with the difficult maintenance of the Wasp Major engines themselves, and you can see what a headache it could be to service this plane.
Both the B-36 and XC-99 could've had longer service lives if but for one technical problem. The Wasp Major engines were installed backwards. They were designed for conventional tractor propellers but, were simply flipped around and turned into pushers. Not only were the thrust forces wrong, the intake was facing the incoming air and could never get hot enough to vaporize the fuel and run properly. Thus, it was always run rich and that helped foul the plugs in addition to creating upper cylinder lubrication problems. The exhaust manifold was in the back and never got enough air to keep it reasonably cool. Thus creating scorching temperatures for the rear part of the engine and everything after that. Had Wasp Major been designed from the start as a pusher, the intake would be behind the engine and be properly warmed to vaporize the fuel and run leaner. The exhaust would be out front where it could be cooled. The heat distribution from front to back would be more even.
The exhaust ring on 4360 was in the same location on c97 b50 b36 between the carb/ Master control and the first or last row besides the stacks and ring on the 41s were enclosed and the heated air was dumped either through the prop afterbody or each prop blade if they needed deicing. You can tell which engine is on b36 by the props round -41 square 53. Engines 2,3,4,5 had a 400 Hz,208 Volt alt for electric power they were run through constant speed drive so as the engine speed did not matter. The 99 did not fly at the altitude of the b 36 and did not have the maint problems that caused.@@BlackPill-pu4vi
The B36 was indeed insanely cool. I love how strange the XC-99 looks. The ‘40s-‘60s were such an entertaining time in aviation designs. Wonder if we’ll ever see something like it again.
@@memofromessex The big sad about the time when stealth was new is that the technology was super hush-hush so we couldn't see stealth planes up close until the tech was already mature enough that it had developed in two ways - flying wing platforms for large planes that needed to tote a significant load (like the B-2 Spirit) and chonky versions of existing fighters for fighter aircraft (like the F-22 and F-35).
@@jeffreyross-zb8cz The only chance I think we have of seeing lots of unique airplanes is if they succeed in either their modularity mission which includes a standard fuselage but with lots of different wing, nose and tail elements and/or when 3D printing and other advancements in materials and manufacturing tech become robust enough that they can manufacture all new designs without having to do all the custom tooling normally required to make an all new plane.
Sometime around 1974/1975 my mom stopped on our way to Lackland AFB (that sat alongside Kelly AFB) and paid to let me go inside the XC-99. I walked around unsupervised and explored. If I recall, mainly the cockpit area.
This aircraft is like an old friend to me. I grew up and still live in San Antonio, TX where the XC-99 was parked on display just to the West of the main runway of Kelly AFB. It was billed as the "Largest land-based airplane in the world" in my youth. My family visited it many times and I even have a picture of me sitting in the pilot's seat (well, co-pilot on the right) at the age of 5. That was 1958! I'm 71 now and was saddened when it was taken apart and hauled away. Thanks for bringing us her history.
My story is similar. I grew up in San Antonio, and my father often took my brother and I to see the plane. There were no attendants or any such formalities. One just drove up the the small parking lot, parked, went inside the plane and wandered around freely. Just like that. I remember being in awe of the access to the interior of the wing.
I'm 71 too, and when you said "5 years old in 1958" I thought "that sounds familiar!" In 1959 we moved to Chicago near Midway Airport. It was the busiest airport in the world at the time (jets changed that). But we'd sit in the viewing lounge and he'd buy me a milkshake if I could identify the airliners correctly!
@MikeinVirginia1 That sounds great! In my 20s the San Antonio Int'l Airport had an open air observation deck where you could watch takeoff, landings and taxiing. Also used to park at the runway ends just off the airport property to have the jets roaring over. All that ended after 9/11.
It's a shame that there aren't any multi-billionaires in the USA. Even one would be able to fund all the restoration needed without making much of a dent in their wallet. Maybe that Musk fellow could help out by using his prodigious mind in a brainstorming session. He might figure something out, since he's been called very smart by some people, I'm sure using him as the face for a kickstarter for the XC-99 might get his followers to donate a few dollars each. I hope if you've read this far it's obvious I'm being sarcastic. Musk, Bezos, any number of the one-half-of-the-one-percenters could fund it and take a tax write-off to boot. I guess we have to keep the mega-yacht builders from starving, though. Priorities.
I saw this aircraft for the first time in 1974. I was in tech school at Lackland AFB and ran across the 99 while driving around one day. It was just sitting there by itself with nothing around it. I walked around it for over an hour since I was always an aviation buff. I went back to San Antonio several times in my career and I always went back to visit the 99. It was sad to watch it rotting away all by itself.
I toured in in 1971 when I was 12. It was a wonderland to me. It was quite a trek up the steps to the tip of the tail. The cockpit seemed to be as big as my bedroom. I got to walk inside one of the wings.
Thanks! My father got to fly in this plane once when he was stations in San Antonio, Texas. He said initially they had problems with the fuselage skin "wrinkling" from the stresses each time it was flown. Apparently that issue was worked out. Always enjoy your videos Ed.
Back in the 1980s, the XC99 was parked in a field across from Kelly AFB. I used to give tours thru that plane! Wish I had pictures. There was this one time a C-5 was getting ready to take off, and the taxiway was right across a fence for the XC99. They looked like a young bull facing off an old one!
I was able to get in the XC-99 once in the mid 1960s when it was off the road between Kelly AFB and Lackland AFB (I was stationed at Randolph AFB at the time but attending a 45 day training course at Kelly). It was not secured in any way, just sitting there with easy access for anyone that wanted to explore the inside. Looking back from the open left window, it reminded me of looking back from an open porthole along the side of an Army Transport Ship like those that took us to and from Germany (1947 to 1950), and to Hawaii in 1952.
I would argue its direct rival (and equally forgotten) was the double-deck Lockheed R6V Constitution, two made and pressed into service by the US Navy.
I worked there from 1983 to 2000. I never got to go inside its enclosure, but you could still get pretty close. What a contrast to the C-5s that we maintained there.
At least the XC99 made it into service and proved that air transport in large quantities was a viable option to the usual sea voyages that were necessary to transport oversized item, and tbh it isn’t a bad looking aircraft either, it was the right aircraft but, as with many prototypes, it was the wrong time for it, as was the Bristol Brabasson, I don’t know how they matched up to each other but they were certainly BIG. Thanks for another excellent article Ed, and as I learned something new today my day has not been wasted, very interesting, informative and BIG. I wow posted onto the Hercules C-130 in the late 80s until after the first Gulf War, and I enjoyed every minute of it, even during the gulf war when we were working 12 hour shifts (officially, but usually more like 14-15) to turn around aircraft from planned maintenance so they could get back to the job they were designed for, carrying stuff. Anyway I digress, thanks again Ed, thumbs up as usual. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴🇺🇸🇺🇦
This plane has always fascinated me. Probably because the B-36 was not exactly small, but also because there is not a lot of info on it. I wonder if they had some of the same engine/cooling/icing challenges as with the B-36. Thank you for doing this one!
I was given a tour of the XC-99 sections after they arrived at the Air Force Museum - much of the exterior green with algae from sitting at Kelly for so long. I noticed another possible problem with restoration - the fuselage shell had been held together lengthwise with dozens of cables and turnbuckles, now loose and unconnected. An unusual design and amazing feat of engineering, but I don’t envy whoever has to put it back together.
My dad worked at Lackland AFB, which back then, butted up against Kelly AFB. One Saturday my brothers and I went with dad to the Kelly Golf course. Afterwards, for sum of $1 each, we got to climb into the XC-99’s flight deck and sit at the controls. This was after she was taken out of service and moved “off base.” It was quite an experience. Too bad it’s deteriorating in the boneyard. She was some kind of bird.
When I was in Air Force basic training in 1982, I remember this husk at the end of the runway. A couple of decades ago when The Air Museum decided to break it up for restoration, I looked forward to seeing it at least looking like it had in it's glory days. Not sure if will ever reach that now.
The single tires mains in BOTH B-36/XC-99 were found to have such high ground pressure that initially there were ONLY THREE RUNWAYS that could take them. BOTH were quickly refitted with the quad tire mains.
You know what this reminds me of? Popular Mechanics/Science artwork of future planes from this period. It has this unbelievable air to it, but its lines are sleek while sort of being...vague? Like it was the 1930's/40's idea of a super-aircraft that came to life from a artist's rendition rather than concrete plans/blueprints.
It was good to see all the vintage videos of this aircraft that I originally posted on TH-cam. The C-99 and the B-36 were designed as a means of taking troops, material and bombing missions to the war with Germany by bypassing the "wolf packs" of German U-Boats in the Atlantic.
The XC99 was sold for scrap when it was taken out of service. The gentleman that purchased it towed it from Kelly AFB to a lot across from the base where it sat for many, many years. The plane was opened to the public and people were allowed onboard for a small fee. I saw this airplane quite often as I lived on the Southside of San Antonio, Texas very near it's parking place and i passed by it weekly. The owner stopped allowing people from entering the aircraft probably in the 70's and it sat sealed up for many more years. The last I saw and heard about it it was towed from it's location back onto Kelly AFB where it was to be restored to a static display. I have pictures of it sitting in the field. Sad end to a mighty aircraft.
Ed, you need to visit the USAF museum in Dayton, Ohio. Stay in Yellow Springs, Ohio and plan about a three day visit at the museum. The museum is massive and packed full of aircraft.
I intended to go there today, but my grandmother got sick last night so the day trip got cancelled literally eight hours before I would have left home. Still, we can always reschedule; it’s only a two-hour drive and since I know the entire layout I can get to everything in a single day.
I've been there many times. I agree. The Smithsonian has nothing on the AF Museum in Dayton when it comes to air and spacecraft. They even have an entire hangar dedicated to missiles.
Back in the mid to late 60's, my dad would take me and my sister out to the XC-99 static display, on Growdon Road, between Kelly AFB and Lackland AFB, on the southwest side of San Antonio, TX. For a really small fee, you could take a self-guided tour of the inside of the aircraft. You could just stand outside and take photos for free. No matter how many times a year we would go out to see the aircraft, it was always a marvel to this young elementary school boy! I'm 65 years old now, but the memories of seeing that aircraft have stayed with me all these many decades.
When we were out in California when Dad was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, he took my mom and I to Oakland Naval Air Station (Now Oakland International) to see the C-99 on the ramp. It was massive! For a 5-year old kid, it was an inspiring sight!
For having such a useful service life, it’s amazing that there was only one. I don’t mean to say that there should have been 50 of the things, but you’d think that there would have been work enough for half a dozen of them.
Especially being a prototype. Having two could significantly help development and testing. But perhaps that is exactly why... The writing is on the wall, the jet age is coming.
I think that not enough Air Force and other military types understood how valuable it could be. You could move more troops faster than anything else and a longer distance. Thirty of these could move an entire infantry division in one shot. for reinforcement purposes unmatched until the late sixties.
There's a B-36 on display at the Museum of the USAF in Dayton. They have the single wheel landing gear on display. It's massive. The reason they switched to the bicycle landing gear from the single wheel is because the single wheel would tear up the runway concrete when it landed. The bicycle format allowed them to spread its weight. This is the first time I heard that this plane was economical to fly. When Pan Am looked at the operating costs of a transatlantic variant, they didn't walk away, they ran. A spark plug change meant swapping out 356 spark plugs. It gobbled oil. The Wasp Major engines had a prodigious appetite for lubricating oil; each engine required a dedicated 100-gal tank and there were 6 engines. The engines were unreliable and liked to catch fire. The parent craft it was designed from, the B-36, had an aircraft's slogan which was originally "six turning, four burning" into "two turning, two burning, two smoking, two choking and two more unaccounted for. Both aircraft used the same Wasp engines. Somewhere around 2010 the XC-99 was disassembled and moved to the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton. I talked to a volunteer who worked there, and he told me they were working on restoring the Memphis Belle and had no idea when or even if they'll get to the Xc-99. He said when they took it apart the damage from being in the sun and the corrosion caused by residual fuel in the wings meant a restoration was going to be an expensive and time-consuming project. Wikipedia -> It was subsequently transported in the summer of 2012 to Davis-Monthan AFB and is stored in Area 20 of the 309 AMARG complex, the so-called "Boneyard", pending financial resources sufficient to restore the aircraft and return it to NMUSAF for display.
I purchased the movie "Strategic Air Command" on Blu-ray just so I could watch the gorgeous footage of the B-36 and B-47. I still can't believe a plane that darn large was able to fly. It must have been an amazing sight to behold.
This plane was parked in a grass field at Kelly AFB IN San Antonio for many years. I walked around it in the 1980s when I heard it was located here. Huge aircraft! I understand it's located at the aircraft storage facility by Davis-Monthan AFB just south of Tucson, Arizona.
I went with my parents to San Antonio Texas in 1968, my dad for work but also a bit of a vacation (and maybe possibly a new job?) We went to the Hemisphere World's Fair (saw Louis Armstrong play) but somehow, I don't know how I was walking around Kelly AFB - I was a 12 yo kid - and saw this behemoth sitting out there by itself, I was enthralled. The usual story for planes like this is that it would pass all the tests and the government was ready to place an order but then technology evolved, this one, to my surprise actually had a short, but reasonably productive life. Thanks for filling me in.
I used to play in it when I was a kid. My grandfather worked at Kelly. The last time I saw it was probably in the late 70s. It was REALLY rough by then. All the gauges were broken and almost all the glass. Oh and the first time I was ever stung by a wasp.
I grew up near McClellan Air Force Base in the Sacramento area and it was a major repair site for the West Coast. I can remember hearing the XC 99 when it was coming into the base. It had a distinctive sound with six engines. You could hear it long before you could see it. This was in the 1950s and 60s. It seemed like some kind of alien craft!
I saw this XC-99 when it was on static display on a road between Lackland and Kelly AFB's. Thanks for providing a lot of details about it's service life.
Pan Am not only ordered the Convair 37 but they published in 1946 a Route Map with a fold out front page cover art of a globe circling fleet of the their planes (and evolution) over the years. The latest DC-7 and Constellation are being led into the future by a massive, double decker C-37 in beautiful Blue White and Silver. Ah, the things that might have been!
Back in the 60's, my father would take us out for the day and this would become my play ground. I spent many a day with friends and cousins running down the cargo decks and in the cockpit of this of this historic aircraft. As mentioned, it sat across the street form the main runway at Kelly AFB in San Antonio. One of it's unique features were several bubbled out window in the fuselage along the lower cargo deck. I believe it was a feature for aircrews to inspect the engines and lower portion of the aircraft during flight. For us kids, it was a way to be suspended over mid-air and a place to go during games of hide & seek. I remember them moving it to a part of Kelly near Hwy 90 where it sat for a very long time before being dismantled and shipped away. I hope some day one of the many billionaires are country has created sees a need to restore this aircraft for future children to enjoy. It served it's country and it served many kids and families as a static display back in the day. Rest well old girl....
I grew up in the 1950s near a SAC base. B-36s were often seen in their landing pattern. Sometimes flying in a formation of 3 bombers. I never saw anything as huge until The C-5.
I went inside that beast in 1967. It was parked in a field south of Hwy 90 W between Kelly AFB and Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. It was just sitting there and anybody could go inside of it. It was amazing! It was so big! I remember it well.
I took several slide photos of the XC-99 back in the 1980s when the aircraft was still on display at Kelly AFB, San Antonio, TX. It is to be hoped this one-of-a-kind aircraft can somehow be restored to static display. Thanks for sharing this in-depth story on the XC-99!
If it does get restored, it'll probably be at Pima Air and Space museum, which is literally across the street from the Boneyard, and already has a B-36 they restored. I wonder how much effort it would take to set up a GoFundme to get the XC-99 restored.
Imagine if we in the UK had a Bristol Brabazon to walk around and through ... these aircraft might be White Elephants but all of them are very preciouse
I was able to see this aircraft twice, once at Kelly AFB, then in pieces at Wright-Pat. I was able to explore the parts, as it was a Sunday and the place was about deserted. It was stored on the active side of the base, outside the restoration hanger. It was amazing ro stand in the nose gear bay, and see everything there. Sneaking around was also kinda fun. Its in sad shape though. I doubt anyone would have a chance to explore it like I did now it's at DM, probably much more restricted access.
I seem to recall that the XC99 flew a total of about 9000 hrs, and then a crack was found in the spar of one wing. At that point the Airforce decided to park it rather than fix it.
Me too, my dad was stationed at Kelly in 65' and he took me to see this plane got to go inside.I was also in the Cub Scouts.I went to Mary Hull lived on Westport Way.
I ran the ran the power pack teardown section at fairchild afb in the early 50s a little over 2 years doing 25 engines a month and shipping 15 or 16 t0 SAAMA on the 99 I never saw an engine which had been burned
I was at Kelly AFB in the early 80s and I walked around that beautiful plane many times. It was a real work of flyable art; it was simply amazing to be that "up close and personal" with it.
Breaks my heart that this plane still exists but they will display her. She resides at the Air Force Museum in Ohio. I have asked for access to see it but was declined. Would love to see it one day before I’m gone. Truly a one of a kind rare bird.
No, it doesn't. The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton does own its remains, but the remaining pieces are being stored at the boneyard in Arizona. Due to the massive deterioration of the magnesium fuselage, it will never be restored. It would basically have to be rebuilt from scratch.
Six Turin Four Burin!!! I got to see the Peace Maker at the Nebraska Air Space museum a few times. There's a H model Buff parked next to the 36. The 36 Dwarfs the Buff and its impressive to see in person. Did they ever add the Four jet engine pylon to 99 for A Jato like they did to the 36? Seems like they should've. Someone needs to get a Peacemaker airworthy again travel the airshow circuit. If I were a mulit millionaire I'd have one and I'd try to get as many Rare Vintage aircraft and War Birds flying again.
I find it ironic that the B-36 bombers were a maintenance nightmare, had to have jet engines fitted to help with take offs when fully loaded with weapons, and seemed to always be on the brink of breakdown. And then this beast just, worked as intended and then some. Yes, it does help that it had upgrades to better engines and such over its short life, but it stayed busy with what seems to be little fuss. The fact it was able to just work with that much magnesium in its air frame and that much use is also surprising. I think it is a rather good looking aircraft to boot.
Word is the "ironic" maintainance nightmares also had some continuation in the XC - 99. With crews having to check nuts, bolts, connectors, and even rivets, because of vibration issues from the Wasp major engines... In addition to the stresses created from many long distance flights, at least the XC - 99 could use some parts from the B - 36, if needed.
Never heard of it! I was thinking it was going to be another one-off prototype that never went anywhere and then Nash just keeps rolling with the service history of an absolute unit of a transport! That shot at 10:36 of it absolutely DWARFING a squadron of B-29's was hilarious!
Was that Lindbergh Field in San Diego? I can't imagine a plane this large even being able to turn around there, let alone fly in and out of with city, Navy and high hills off both ends of the single runway.
Yes, it was built and made it's first flight from what is now San Diego airport. The B-36 bombers, including prototypes, were built at Fort Worth, Texas.
I live in Tucson. I didn't know it was here. I'll keep an eye out, but I'm not active duty, so I have no pull to get on base. DMAFB 86'ed AMARG tours last year. Didn't notice any at PASM this January. If the external skin were replaced with aluminum panels, where the rotting magnesium was, would it still be an XC-99? I know the manpower costs would be astronomic, let alone the Alcoa bill, but the Spirit of Ft Worth is testament to the power of volunteerism. And that B-36 still exists on the line at Pima Air & Space Museum. [And we're wondering if a lot of clapped out B-36s didn't already get turned into those 4'' Survival Kit Magnesium bars with Ferrocerium strikers?]
I'd love to see the XC-99 on display at Pima. I went down once with a bunch of aviation buffs (including one who worked at AMARG), and the XC-99 was the main topic of discussion. I've also been wondering if they could rebuild it using materials other than magnesium. Pima is the place for restoring big planes. They have several B-52s, and are even getting one of the Martin JRM Mars by the end of the year. I've been wondering if a GoFundMe could be set up to raise the funds.
In case anyone wants to see it on google maps it's near the intersection of Yuma St and S Kolb Road in Tucsan, Arizona. There is a map marker that reads: "Convair XC-99 Remains" - I thought it was a series of building at first. It's big.
I read somewhere that the 99 was taken out of service as the structure was adjudged to be near the end of its service life. Much sooner than expected and making it uneconomical to make any more of them.
My Dad and his Navy anti submarine squadron flew from San Diego to Quonset Point Rhode Island on this aircraft. They had just rounded Cape Horn on the USS Oriskany. Considering this was the prototype and no production aircraft were built, it’s amazing how many real life missions it completely.
I remember as a 7-year old seeing the XC-99 overhead and being gobsmacked by its size. We lived under the landing pattern of McClellan AFB, were my Dad worked in the F-100 division.
i remember walking around that plane near Kelly AFB, TX in 1980 on weekend leave when I was in OCS before I entered pilot training at LAFB about 200 miles due west! It was off to the west end of as very large grass field nestled against a tree line.
Wow, I never noticed that the engine air/cooling/turbo inlet ducts changed shape the further outboard you went on the wing. That's pretty incredible - shows the lengths they went to with NACA and wind tunnel testing even 3/4 of a century ago.
This, the Lockheed Constitution, the Martin Mars, the Bristol Brabazon, and the Saunders Roe Princess are all unforgetable giants. Everyone knows about the Hughes H4 and had it of been built just a couple of years later it would have flown its entire flight envelope with the C-133's engines (each twice the power and 1/2 ton lighter).
My dad loved this plane. When I use to live on Kelly and SA you could see it every day (when you weren't distracted by the shuttle). Shame to hear what happened to it.
David R Lentz, Columbus, Ohio, USA (Saturday, 6 July, 2024) I have not forgotten either: the Convair XC-99 USAF Super Heavy Transport: the younger fraternal twin brother of the Convair B-36 Peacemaker USAF Super Heavy Bomber B-36: 186 ft long, 230 ft wingspan, bomb capacity XC-99: 206 ft long, 230 ft wingspan, load capacity
I believe that the MUSAF at Wright Patterson has one of those original single wheels on display there. For an aircraft, it's huge. According to the information placard, the plane would sink into the tarmac due to poor weight distribution. The reason they changed the landing gesr to multiple wheeled gear.
Myself and I'm sure many others drove past it for years on their way to work at then Kelly AFB where it sat in a field with goats around it. We often wondered what it was until we did some research and of course learned it was a one off.
My dad and I went to see this bird in 1976, when it was sitting off a runway at Kelly AFB in San Antonio. A man and his dad were trying to restore it and it was like trying to empty the ocean with a spoon. I did get to sit in the cockpit and read the flight manual so that was pretty cool.
Give a six year old a ruler and an A3 sheet of paper, ask him/her to draw "a really big airplane", and the child will unfailingly draw an XC-99.
With the exeption of the pusher props I think you are right !
@PaxAlotin Some people just are excelent engineers by nature. I'd did something alike
@PaxAlotin Nice, I used to draw tanks and wheeled AFVs, I still design them but just as a hobby really.
Mine drew a C-124 Globemaster :P
@@greenseaships with the wingtip tanks and everything? Talented kid...
This plane had an incredibly successful service life for a prototype. Its a tribute to the expertise of the Convair design team that they could get it so right on the first version. It was also interesting to see the evolution of the landing gear during its development. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the multi-wheel under carriage was pioneered on this plane, a truly ground breaking achievment.
it sits in that weird spot alongside the PRR S1 of prototypes that where incredibly good as individual units but not good enough (or held back by factors beyond their control) to justify a production order.
It was certainly one of the first aircraft to use bogies.
Surely not ground breaking, they designed the gear to avoid that! :P
The bogie undercarriage was developed for the B-36 first, (as the B-36 prototype was cracking runways early on), and fitted to the XC-99 later, (as Ed mentions in the video).
It was around this time that large aircraft generally were moving over from large single mainwheels to smaller multi wheel arrangements and quite a few started out with singles but in production had multis, I think the Comet was one. Part of it was the realisation that grass runways just wouldn't cut it, coupled with the large number of concrete or tarmac runways built for wartime needs.
I swear, even if I watched a plane video every single day until the day I die, with my last breath I'd be muttering "wow, never heard of that one".
Same. I thought I knew them all, and yet the WeirdWings subreddit continues to surprise me.
This is exactly why "The Complete Book of Fighters" was the first coffee table volume I asked for as a birthday present when I was a kid. There's so much weird crap in there. Like conditional biplanes.
I hear this. I have literally just today been at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum, which among several other weird and wonderful craft, plays host to an IAI Arava. Look it up - it’s an aviation oddity for sure.
I'm exactly the same every time I fire up TH-cam and another wonderful plane nerd produces another amazing video 😮😅👍
@@nikbear Ed and Rex for planes. Never miss a new video. 👍
My uncle who was in the USAF in the Korean War and for a couple years afterward, said that every time the XC-99 flew, every nut, bolt, and rivet, had to be checked to make sure they were tight. This was due to the vibration from the Wasp Major engines. The crew chiefs at Wright-Patterson told him that the plane was a maintenance nightmare because of that. Combine that with the difficult maintenance of the Wasp Major engines themselves, and you can see what a headache it could be to service this plane.
Really a shame. If this could have been fit with turboprops, it would have been an unbeatable cargo craft!
Both the B-36 and XC-99 could've had longer service lives if but for one technical problem. The Wasp Major engines were installed backwards. They were designed for conventional tractor propellers but, were simply flipped around and turned into pushers.
Not only were the thrust forces wrong, the intake was facing the incoming air and could never get hot enough to vaporize the fuel and run properly. Thus, it was always run rich and that helped foul the plugs in addition to creating upper cylinder lubrication problems. The exhaust manifold was in the back and never got enough air to keep it reasonably cool. Thus creating scorching temperatures for the rear part of the engine and everything after that.
Had Wasp Major been designed from the start as a pusher, the intake would be behind the engine and be properly warmed to vaporize the fuel and run leaner. The exhaust would be out front where it could be cooled. The heat distribution from front to back would be more even.
Good info!
The exhaust ring on 4360 was in the same location on c97 b50 b36 between the carb/ Master control and the first or last row besides the stacks and ring on the 41s were enclosed and the heated air was dumped either through the prop afterbody or each prop blade if they needed deicing. You can tell which engine is on b36 by the props round -41 square 53. Engines 2,3,4,5 had a 400 Hz,208 Volt alt for electric power they were run through constant speed drive so as the engine speed did not matter. The 99 did not fly at the altitude of the b 36 and did not have the maint problems that caused.@@BlackPill-pu4vi
@@BlackPill-pu4vi But why did they think that pusher props were the answer?
The B36 was indeed insanely cool. I love how strange the XC-99 looks. The ‘40s-‘60s were such an entertaining time in aviation designs. Wonder if we’ll ever see something like it again.
@@memofromessex The big sad about the time when stealth was new is that the technology was super hush-hush so we couldn't see stealth planes up close until the tech was already mature enough that it had developed in two ways - flying wing platforms for large planes that needed to tote a significant load (like the B-2 Spirit) and chonky versions of existing fighters for fighter aircraft (like the F-22 and F-35).
Indeed. We presently are on a regular basis for seeing such things.
@@katherineberger6329It honestly wouldn't surprise me too much if someone develops one that looks like the X-36 (i.e. not chonky)
I'm sure you know the answer- If the entire world tries to eradicate each other again, then yes, many new unique designs again 😢😢😢
@@jeffreyross-zb8cz The only chance I think we have of seeing lots of unique airplanes is if they succeed in either their modularity mission which includes a standard fuselage but with lots of different wing, nose and tail elements and/or when 3D printing and other advancements in materials and manufacturing tech become robust enough that they can manufacture all new designs without having to do all the custom tooling normally required to make an all new plane.
Sometime around 1974/1975 my mom stopped on our way to Lackland AFB (that sat alongside Kelly AFB) and paid to let me go inside the XC-99. I walked around unsupervised and explored. If I recall, mainly the cockpit area.
If there was only one place to be it's in a cockpit.😊
This aircraft is like an old friend to me. I grew up and still live in San Antonio, TX where the XC-99 was parked on display just to the West of the main runway of Kelly AFB. It was billed as the "Largest land-based airplane in the world" in my youth. My family visited it many times and I even have a picture of me sitting in the pilot's seat (well, co-pilot on the right) at the age of 5. That was 1958! I'm 71 now and was saddened when it was taken apart and hauled away. Thanks for bringing us her history.
My story is similar. I grew up in San Antonio, and my father often took my brother and I to see the plane. There were no attendants or any such formalities. One just drove up the the small parking lot, parked, went inside the plane and wandered around freely. Just like that. I remember being in awe of the access to the interior of the wing.
I'm 71 too, and when you said "5 years old in 1958" I thought "that sounds familiar!" In 1959 we moved to Chicago near Midway Airport. It was the busiest airport in the world at the time (jets changed that). But we'd sit in the viewing lounge and he'd buy me a milkshake if I could identify the airliners correctly!
@MikeinVirginia1 That sounds great! In my 20s the San Antonio Int'l Airport had an open air observation deck where you could watch takeoff, landings and taxiing. Also used to park at the runway ends just off the airport property to have the jets roaring over. All that ended after 9/11.
It’s really heartbreaking when rare historical artifacts are allowed to degrade to the point that they can no longer be preserved.
FV4005 exists, sometimes there are people that care enough.
It's preserved now , it's the restoration to static display or to be flyable, which would raise the cost by a factor of 10.
@@pat36a he said that the broken down and rapidly degrading airframe had been moved to the boneyard to await preservation.
It's a shame that there aren't any multi-billionaires in the USA. Even one would be able to fund all the restoration needed without making much of a dent in their wallet. Maybe that Musk fellow could help out by using his prodigious mind in a brainstorming session. He might figure something out, since he's been called very smart by some people, I'm sure using him as the face for a kickstarter for the XC-99 might get his followers to donate a few dollars each.
I hope if you've read this far it's obvious I'm being sarcastic. Musk, Bezos, any number of the one-half-of-the-one-percenters could fund it and take a tax write-off to boot. I guess we have to keep the mega-yacht builders from starving, though. Priorities.
It's a plane. Not a human
I saw this aircraft for the first time in 1974. I was in tech school at Lackland AFB and ran across the 99 while driving around one day. It was just sitting there by itself with nothing around it. I walked around it for over an hour since I was always an aviation buff. I went back to San Antonio several times in my career and I always went back to visit the 99. It was sad to watch it rotting away all by itself.
I graduated tech school in ‘74 as well. Security Police.
@@haroldhumerickhouse7904 I was crypto maint. I think Lackland did Security Police, Crypto Maint and Para Rescue.
@@haroldhumerickhouse7904 🐷
The solution isn't to house the XC-99 in a museum-it's to house a museum in the XC-99.
I toured in in 1971 when I was 12. It was a wonderland to me. It was quite a trek up the steps to the tip of the tail. The cockpit seemed to be as big as my bedroom. I got to walk inside one of the wings.
Thanks! My father got to fly in this plane once when he was stations in San Antonio, Texas. He said initially they had problems with the fuselage skin "wrinkling" from the stresses each time it was flown. Apparently that issue was worked out. Always enjoy your videos Ed.
Never heard of that plane! I also never heard of a single prototype having such an impressive operational record.
Back in the 1980s, the XC99 was parked in a field across from Kelly AFB. I used to give tours thru that plane! Wish I had pictures. There was this one time a C-5 was getting ready to take off, and the taxiway was right across a fence for the XC99. They looked like a young bull facing off an old one!
I was able to get in the XC-99 once in the mid 1960s when it was off the road between Kelly AFB and Lackland AFB (I was stationed at Randolph AFB at the time but attending a 45 day training course at Kelly). It was not secured in any way, just sitting there with easy access for anyone that wanted to explore the inside. Looking back from the open left window, it reminded me of looking back from an open porthole along the side of an Army Transport Ship like those that took us to and from Germany (1947 to 1950), and to Hawaii in 1952.
Roland: were you not one of my students giving tours there on weekends?
@@j.kaufmann7673 Mr Kauffman?
Saw it in same area circa 84-85.
I would argue its direct rival (and equally forgotten) was the double-deck Lockheed R6V Constitution, two made and pressed into service by the US Navy.
My father, Col. Albert L. Neuhauser, USAF (1924-2020) was a test pilot on the XC-99.
Back in 97 I was at Kelly AFB. I just happened to climb out of the top hat of a C-5 and photographed the XC-99. Shot in a million.
Please post it somewhere!
Saw the C-5's maiden voyage from Dobbins AFB in Marietta. It was a monster to see flying so low and hear the shrill pitch of its engines.
Please share that photo. I regret never taking a picture of XC99.
I grew up in San Antonio,every time we passed Kelly AFB we could see it,what a shame to see it unrestored
I remember seeing it as well.
I worked there from 1983 to 2000. I never got to go inside its enclosure, but you could still get pretty close. What a contrast to the C-5s that we maintained there.
At least the XC99 made it into service and proved that air transport in large quantities was a viable option to the usual sea voyages that were necessary to transport oversized item, and tbh it isn’t a bad looking aircraft either, it was the right aircraft but, as with many prototypes, it was the wrong time for it, as was the Bristol Brabasson, I don’t know how they matched up to each other but they were certainly BIG.
Thanks for another excellent article Ed, and as I learned something new today my day has not been wasted, very interesting, informative and BIG. I wow posted onto the Hercules C-130 in the late 80s until after the first Gulf War, and I enjoyed every minute of it, even during the gulf war when we were working 12 hour shifts (officially, but usually more like 14-15) to turn around aircraft from planned maintenance so they could get back to the job they were designed for, carrying stuff. Anyway I digress, thanks again Ed, thumbs up as usual. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴🇺🇸🇺🇦
This was a truly new one on me! This is the first time I have ever heard of the XC-99 and its impressive history.
This plane has always fascinated me. Probably because the B-36 was not exactly small, but also because there is not a lot of info on it. I wonder if they had some of the same engine/cooling/icing challenges as with the B-36. Thank you for doing this one!
Thank you for this. Being a native of San Diego California I remember my mom and uncle’s would take about seeing the B-36 and XC-99 flying around
I was given a tour of the XC-99 sections after they arrived at the Air Force Museum - much of the exterior green with algae from sitting at Kelly for so long. I noticed another possible problem with restoration - the fuselage shell had been held together lengthwise with dozens of cables and turnbuckles, now loose and unconnected. An unusual design and amazing feat of engineering, but I don’t envy whoever has to put it back together.
My dad worked at Lackland AFB, which back then, butted up against Kelly AFB. One Saturday my brothers and I went with dad to the Kelly Golf course. Afterwards, for sum of $1 each, we got to climb into the XC-99’s flight deck and sit at the controls. This was after she was taken out of service and moved “off base.” It was quite an experience. Too bad it’s deteriorating in the boneyard. She was some kind of bird.
When I was in Air Force basic training in 1982, I remember this husk at the end of the runway. A couple of decades ago when The Air Museum decided to break it up for restoration, I looked forward to seeing it at least looking like it had in it's glory days. Not sure if will ever reach that now.
The single tires mains in BOTH B-36/XC-99 were found to have such high ground pressure that initially there were ONLY THREE RUNWAYS that could take them. BOTH were quickly refitted with the quad tire mains.
One of those original wheel/tyre assy's exists still at the Hill AFB Museum in Ogden, UT.
@@davef.2329 And there is/was one at the National Museum of the USAF, too.
You know what this reminds me of? Popular Mechanics/Science artwork of future planes from this period. It has this unbelievable air to it, but its lines are sleek while sort of being...vague? Like it was the 1930's/40's idea of a super-aircraft that came to life from a artist's rendition rather than concrete plans/blueprints.
Maybe that's why it worked. Take existing, successful, flying surfaces and fasten them to the simplest fuselage designed to the spec "Make it Big."
It was good to see all the vintage videos of this aircraft that I originally posted on TH-cam. The C-99 and the B-36 were designed as a means of taking troops, material and bombing missions to the war with Germany by bypassing the "wolf packs" of German U-Boats in the Atlantic.
The XC99 was sold for scrap when it was taken out of service. The gentleman that purchased it towed it from Kelly AFB to a lot across from the base where it sat for many, many years. The plane was opened to the public and people were allowed onboard for a small fee. I saw this airplane quite often as I lived on the Southside of San Antonio, Texas very near it's parking place and i passed by it weekly. The owner stopped allowing people from entering the aircraft probably in the 70's and it sat sealed up for many more years. The last I saw and heard about it it was towed from it's location back onto Kelly AFB where it was to be restored to a static display. I have pictures of it sitting in the field. Sad end to a mighty aircraft.
I can’t remember where I saw one, but the size was jaw-dropping!
Ed, you need to visit the USAF museum in Dayton, Ohio. Stay in Yellow Springs, Ohio and plan about a three day visit at the museum. The museum is massive and packed full of aircraft.
I intended to go there today, but my grandmother got sick last night so the day trip got cancelled literally eight hours before I would have left home. Still, we can always reschedule; it’s only a two-hour drive and since I know the entire layout I can get to everything in a single day.
Agreed. An amazing museum.
I've been there many times. I agree. The Smithsonian has nothing on the AF Museum in Dayton when it comes to air and spacecraft. They even have an entire hangar dedicated to missiles.
Thank you very much! What an incredible service life for a prototype aircraft. You filled in many details of its success and ultimately its fate.
Back in the mid to late 60's, my dad would take me and my sister out to the XC-99 static display, on Growdon Road, between Kelly AFB and Lackland AFB, on the southwest side of San Antonio, TX. For a really small fee, you could take a self-guided tour of the inside of the aircraft. You could just stand outside and take photos for free. No matter how many times a year we would go out to see the aircraft, it was always a marvel to this young elementary school boy! I'm 65 years old now, but the memories of seeing that aircraft have stayed with me all these many decades.
When we were out in California when Dad was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, he took my mom and I to Oakland Naval Air Station (Now Oakland International) to see the C-99 on the ramp. It was massive! For a 5-year old kid, it was an inspiring sight!
For having such a useful service life, it’s amazing that there was only one. I don’t mean to say that there should have been 50 of the things, but you’d think that there would have been work enough for half a dozen of them.
An225 anyone? Sometimes things are just right.
Especially as it was cheap to operate. Even just one or 2 more would have been even cheaper to build
Especially being a prototype. Having two could significantly help development and testing.
But perhaps that is exactly why... The writing is on the wall, the jet age is coming.
I think that not enough Air Force and other military types understood how valuable it could be. You could move more troops faster than anything else and a longer distance. Thirty of these could move an entire infantry division in one shot. for reinforcement purposes unmatched until the late sixties.
There's a B-36 on display at the Museum of the USAF in Dayton. They have the single wheel landing gear on display. It's massive. The reason they switched to the bicycle landing gear from the single wheel is because the single wheel would tear up the runway concrete when it landed. The bicycle format allowed them to spread its weight. This is the first time I heard that this plane was economical to fly. When Pan Am looked at the operating costs of a transatlantic variant, they didn't walk away, they ran. A spark plug change meant swapping out 356 spark plugs. It gobbled oil. The Wasp Major engines had a prodigious appetite for lubricating oil; each engine required a dedicated 100-gal tank and there were 6 engines. The engines were unreliable and liked to catch fire. The parent craft it was designed from, the B-36, had an aircraft's slogan which was originally "six turning, four burning" into "two turning, two burning, two smoking, two choking and two more unaccounted for. Both aircraft used the same Wasp engines. Somewhere around 2010 the XC-99 was disassembled and moved to the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton. I talked to a volunteer who worked there, and he told me they were working on restoring the Memphis Belle and had no idea when or even if they'll get to the Xc-99. He said when they took it apart the damage from being in the sun and the corrosion caused by residual fuel in the wings meant a restoration was going to be an expensive and time-consuming project. Wikipedia -> It was subsequently transported in the summer of 2012 to Davis-Monthan AFB and is stored in Area 20 of the 309 AMARG complex, the so-called "Boneyard", pending financial resources sufficient to restore the aircraft and return it to NMUSAF for display.
I purchased the movie "Strategic Air Command" on Blu-ray just so I could watch the gorgeous footage of the B-36 and B-47. I still can't believe a plane that darn large was able to fly. It must have been an amazing sight to behold.
Yes, great movie starring Jimmie Stewart and the Peacemaker.
This plane was parked in a grass field at Kelly AFB IN San Antonio for many years. I walked around it in the 1980s when I heard it was located here. Huge aircraft! I understand it's located at the aircraft storage facility by Davis-Monthan AFB just south of Tucson, Arizona.
Yeah, but it’s in pieces…
I saw it back then but, until now, didn’t know what it was.
Yep I remember seeing it there at Kelly back in the day. Never got a chance to walk around it however. Flying in the C-130 myself.
I remember it on display at Kelly AFB in the early 70's, it was magnificient.
I went with my parents to San Antonio Texas in 1968, my dad for work but also a bit of a vacation (and maybe possibly a new job?) We went to the Hemisphere World's Fair (saw Louis Armstrong play) but somehow, I don't know how I was walking around Kelly AFB - I was a 12 yo kid - and saw this behemoth sitting out there by itself, I was enthralled. The usual story for planes like this is that it would pass all the tests and the government was ready to place an order but then technology evolved, this one, to my surprise actually had a short, but reasonably productive life. Thanks for filling me in.
I used to play in it when I was a kid. My grandfather worked at Kelly. The last time I saw it was probably in the late 70s. It was REALLY rough by then. All the gauges were broken and almost all the glass. Oh and the first time I was ever stung by a wasp.
I grew up near McClellan Air Force Base in the Sacramento area and it was a major repair site for the West Coast. I can remember
hearing the XC 99 when it was coming into the base. It had a distinctive sound with six engines. You could hear it long before
you could see it. This was in the 1950s and 60s. It seemed like some kind of alien craft!
I saw this XC-99 when it was on static display on a road between Lackland and Kelly AFB's. Thanks for providing a lot of details about it's service life.
Pan Am not only ordered the Convair 37 but they published in 1946 a Route Map with a fold out front page cover art of a globe circling fleet of the their planes (and evolution) over the years. The latest DC-7 and Constellation are being led into the future by a massive, double decker C-37 in beautiful Blue White and Silver. Ah, the things that might have been!
I think you mean 4360 not 4340 engines, but still one of the best aviation presenters on Utube.
I visited the aircraft when i was in the Airforce in 1967
It was huge and brings back fond memories.😃
Back in the 60's, my father would take us out for the day and this would become my play ground. I spent many a day with friends and cousins running down the cargo decks and in the cockpit of this of this historic aircraft. As mentioned, it sat across the street form the main runway at Kelly AFB in San Antonio. One of it's unique features were several bubbled out window in the fuselage along the lower cargo deck. I believe it was a feature for aircrews to inspect the engines and lower portion of the aircraft during flight. For us kids, it was a way to be suspended over mid-air and a place to go during games of hide & seek. I remember them moving it to a part of Kelly near Hwy 90 where it sat for a very long time before being dismantled and shipped away. I hope some day one of the many billionaires are country has created sees a need to restore this aircraft for future children to enjoy. It served it's country and it served many kids and families as a static display back in the day. Rest well old girl....
I grew up in the 1950s near a SAC base. B-36s were often seen in their landing pattern. Sometimes flying in a formation of 3 bombers. I never saw anything as huge until The C-5.
I went inside that beast in 1967. It was parked in a field south of Hwy 90 W between Kelly AFB and Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. It was just sitting there and anybody could go inside of it. It was amazing! It was so big! I remember it well.
I took several slide photos of the XC-99 back in the 1980s when the aircraft was still on display at Kelly AFB, San Antonio, TX. It is to be hoped this one-of-a-kind aircraft can somehow be restored to static display. Thanks for sharing this in-depth story on the XC-99!
Hope so.
They either are restoring or have restored a B-36,so there is still hope???
If it does get restored, it'll probably be at Pima Air and Space museum, which is literally across the street from the Boneyard, and already has a B-36 they restored. I wonder how much effort it would take to set up a GoFundme to get the XC-99 restored.
Imagine if we in the UK had a Bristol Brabazon to walk around and through ... these aircraft might be White Elephants but all of them are very preciouse
I was able to see this aircraft twice, once at Kelly AFB, then in pieces at Wright-Pat. I was able to explore the parts, as it was a Sunday and the place was about deserted. It was stored on the active side of the base, outside the restoration hanger. It was amazing ro stand in the nose gear bay, and see everything there. Sneaking around was also kinda fun. Its in sad shape though. I doubt anyone would have a chance to explore it like I did now it's at DM, probably much more restricted access.
It would have been VERY interesting to have seen a mash up of the YB60 and the XC99!A truly massive early jet transport...Great video Ed,Thanks!
As a kid, I remember my dad taking me to see the XC-99 outside of what was then Kelly AFB. It was a site to behold! Absolutely gargantuan!
Never heard of this one, mind you, I could say that about most of the planes you cover. Outstanding
I seem to recall that the XC99 flew a total of about 9000 hrs, and then a crack was found in the spar of one wing. At that point the Airforce decided to park it rather than fix it.
Great backgrounds of San Diego in the late 40s early 50s. Great story of a forgotten plane!! Thanks.
In 1964 I was a 9 yr. old cub scout... We got to tour the inside of the XC-99 while it was in storage at Kelly AFB, San Antonio Tx. Amazing plane! :-)
Me too, my dad was stationed at Kelly in 65' and he took me to see this plane got to go inside.I was also in the Cub Scouts.I went to Mary Hull lived on Westport Way.
I ran the ran the power pack teardown section at fairchild afb in the early 50s a little over 2 years doing 25 engines a month and shipping 15 or 16 t0 SAAMA on the 99 I never saw an engine which had been burned
I was at Kelly AFB in the early 80s and I walked around that beautiful plane many times. It was a real work of flyable art; it was simply amazing to be that "up close and personal" with it.
Breaks my heart that this plane still exists but they will display her. She resides at the Air Force Museum in Ohio. I have asked for access to see it but was declined. Would love to see it one day before I’m gone. Truly a one of a kind rare bird.
No, it doesn't. The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton does own its remains, but the remaining pieces are being stored at the boneyard in Arizona. Due to the massive deterioration of the magnesium fuselage, it will never be restored. It would basically have to be rebuilt from scratch.
Six Turin Four Burin!!! I got to see the Peace Maker at the Nebraska Air Space museum a few times. There's a H model Buff parked next to the 36. The 36 Dwarfs the Buff and its impressive to see in person. Did they ever add the Four jet engine pylon to 99 for A Jato like they did to the 36? Seems like they should've. Someone needs to get a Peacemaker airworthy again travel the airshow circuit. If I were a mulit millionaire I'd have one and I'd try to get as many Rare Vintage aircraft and War Birds flying again.
I find it ironic that the B-36 bombers were a maintenance nightmare, had to have jet engines fitted to help with take offs when fully loaded with weapons, and seemed to always be on the brink of breakdown. And then this beast just, worked as intended and then some. Yes, it does help that it had upgrades to better engines and such over its short life, but it stayed busy with what seems to be little fuss. The fact it was able to just work with that much magnesium in its air frame and that much use is also surprising. I think it is a rather good looking aircraft to boot.
Word is the "ironic" maintainance nightmares also had some continuation in the XC - 99. With crews having to check nuts, bolts, connectors, and even rivets, because of vibration issues from the Wasp major engines... In addition to the stresses created from many long distance flights, at least the XC - 99 could use some parts from the B - 36, if needed.
I believe the aircraft actually fulfilled Howard Hughes plans for the Spruce Goose. She just didn't take off and land on water.
Ed ALWAYS does a FANTASTIC job with his videos. Well researched, great writing, and excellent visuals to make a top notch presentation.
Thanks!!!
Those are P&W R-4360-41 engines, not "4340" as stated at 3:57 minutes into the video.
I’ve never heard of this plane before! Great find!
Never heard of it! I was thinking it was going to be another one-off prototype that never went anywhere and then Nash just keeps rolling with the service history of an absolute unit of a transport!
That shot at 10:36 of it absolutely DWARFING a squadron of B-29's was hilarious!
The Pima Air and Space Museum is just across the road, by way of a bridge from Davis-Monthan AFB. Of course they already have a B-36.
Was that Lindbergh Field in San Diego? I can't imagine a plane this large even being able to turn around there, let alone fly in and out of with city, Navy and high hills off both ends of the single runway.
Yes, it was built and made it's first flight from what is now San Diego airport. The B-36 bombers, including prototypes, were built at Fort Worth, Texas.
As I was researching this aircraft only earlier this week, this video was a great insight into its career.
Great video sir, as usual you do an amazing job in research and produciton….
I live in Tucson. I didn't know it was here. I'll keep an eye out, but I'm not active duty, so I have no pull to get on base. DMAFB 86'ed AMARG tours last year. Didn't notice any at PASM this January.
If the external skin were replaced with aluminum panels, where the rotting magnesium was, would it still be an XC-99? I know the manpower costs would be astronomic, let alone the Alcoa bill, but the Spirit of Ft Worth is testament to the power of volunteerism. And that B-36 still exists on the line at Pima Air & Space Museum.
[And we're wondering if a lot of clapped out B-36s didn't already get turned into those 4'' Survival Kit Magnesium bars with Ferrocerium strikers?]
Just tell them you're illegal immigrant. They'll pass you right in!
I'd love to see the XC-99 on display at Pima. I went down once with a bunch of aviation buffs (including one who worked at AMARG), and the XC-99 was the main topic of discussion. I've also been wondering if they could rebuild it using materials other than magnesium. Pima is the place for restoring big planes. They have several B-52s, and are even getting one of the Martin JRM Mars by the end of the year. I've been wondering if a GoFundMe could be set up to raise the funds.
I was fortunate to visit the XC-99 at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio when I was thirteen years old.
In case anyone wants to see it on google maps it's near the intersection of Yuma St and S Kolb Road in Tucsan, Arizona. There is a map marker that reads: "Convair XC-99 Remains" - I thought it was a series of building at first. It's big.
As a young’n I got to go aboard of an XC-99 on static display at Kelly A.F.B , a truly awesome aircraft
I read somewhere that the 99 was taken out of service as the structure was adjudged to be near the end of its service life. Much sooner than expected and making it uneconomical to make any more of them.
Stationed in San Antonio at that time and the local story was that it had a cracked wing spar too extensive to repair or replace.
I remember seeing this plane at San Antonio (former Kelly AFB, next to Lackland AFB) in 1998.
A video on the YB-60 would also be appreciated.
Good video. I've never heard of it until I watch this video.
My Dad and his Navy
anti submarine squadron flew from San Diego to Quonset Point Rhode Island on this aircraft. They had just rounded Cape Horn on the USS Oriskany.
Considering this was the prototype and no production aircraft were built, it’s amazing how many real life missions it completely.
I love this plane, and am so excited to see a video on this unloved giant
Great video.
P.S Could you please make a video on the Brabazon?
I remember as a 7-year old seeing the XC-99 overhead and being gobsmacked by its size. We lived under the landing pattern of McClellan AFB, were my Dad worked in the F-100 division.
Ed, you always publish very interesting content. Thank you.
Saw this parked in a corner of a USAF base in San Antonio, TX back in the 80's. Very impressive airplane!
I used to run by this aircraft as a 2LT when it was parked at Kelly Field in San Antonio. Thanks for the video.
i remember walking around that plane near Kelly AFB, TX in 1980 on weekend leave when I was in OCS before I entered pilot training at LAFB about 200 miles due west! It was off to the west end of as very large grass field nestled against a tree line.
Wow, I never noticed that the engine air/cooling/turbo inlet ducts changed shape the further outboard you went on the wing. That's pretty incredible - shows the lengths they went to with NACA and wind tunnel testing even 3/4 of a century ago.
This, the Lockheed Constitution, the Martin Mars, the Bristol Brabazon, and the Saunders Roe Princess are all unforgetable giants. Everyone knows about the Hughes H4 and had it of been built just a couple of years later it would have flown its entire flight envelope with the C-133's engines (each twice the power and 1/2 ton lighter).
My dad loved this plane. When I use to live on Kelly and SA you could see it every day (when you weren't distracted by the shuttle). Shame to hear what happened to it.
My dad caught a ride to Korea in it. He's 94 and was telling the story the other week.
Excellent Ed thanks
David R Lentz, Columbus, Ohio, USA (Saturday, 6 July, 2024)
I have not forgotten either: the Convair XC-99 USAF Super Heavy Transport: the younger fraternal twin brother of the Convair B-36 Peacemaker USAF Super Heavy Bomber
B-36: 186 ft long, 230 ft wingspan, bomb capacity
XC-99: 206 ft long, 230 ft wingspan, load capacity
When I was in Air Force field training in San Antonio the mid 90's, I remember seeing this thing abandoned at the end of the runway.
I remember seeing this plane when it was on static display and I was in basic training in 1966 at Lackland AFB.
I believe that the MUSAF at Wright Patterson has one of those original single wheels on display there. For an aircraft, it's huge. According to the information placard, the plane would sink into the tarmac due to poor weight distribution. The reason they changed the landing gesr to multiple wheeled gear.
Look close at 1:45 you can see the rare tracked landing gear they tried but didn't work out.
Myself and I'm sure many others drove past it for years on their way to work at then Kelly AFB where it sat in a field with goats around it. We often wondered what it was until we did some research and of course learned it was a one off.
The real precursor to 747/C5 type aircraft is the Spruce Goose. it even has the Hump and an option for the front cargo doors.
My dad and I went to see this bird in 1976, when it was sitting off a runway at Kelly AFB in San Antonio. A man and his dad were trying to restore it and it was like trying to empty the ocean with a spoon. I did get to sit in the cockpit and read the flight manual so that was pretty cool.