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| Despite having been the world's largest landplane transport when it flew in 1945, the Douglas C-74 Globemaster was actually too small-in volume-to accommodate the outsized loads dictated by the American military's postwar logistical needs. In response to this problem, the fifth C-74 was held back at the factory to undergo far- reaching modifications under the new designation YC-124. Using the wings, engine nacelles, and tail group of the C-74, Douglas evolved an entirely new fuselage by adding five feet ten inches to overall length, raising the height of the main cargo bay five feet, and lowering the depth of forward fuselage to permit loading of trucks, artillery pieces, aircraft sub- assemblies, or bulky equipment through a set of full- width clamshell doors in a new nose section that incorporated a built- in, hydraulically lowered ramp. The aft, belly loading hatch of the C-74 was retained, and to assist fore and aft movement of large loads, two overhead hoists, with 16,000 lbs. lifting capacity each, were installed in the main cargo bay. When rigged in a double deck configuration, the new fuselage design could also house 200 fully equipped troops or 127 evacuees in medical litters.
Dubbed "Globemaster II," the YC-124 completed its maiden flight on November 27, 1949, and deliveries of the first of 204 C-124A production models to the USAF commenced in May 1950. The prototype became the YC-124A when re- powered with 3,800-hp R-4360-35A engines, then reemerged in 1954 as the YC-124B after being modified to serve as a flying testbed for 5,500-shp Pratt & Whitney YT34 turboprop engines. A KC-124B tanker variant was considered as a potential KC-97 replacement but never materialized. The Long Beach plant shifted to production of 243 improved C-124Cs delivered between 1952 and 1955, which differed in having 3,800-hp R-4360-63A engines, an APS-42 weather radar in a nose- mounted thimble radome, and wingtip- mounted combustion heaters that provided thermal de-icing and cabin heating, and over a period of years, the existing C-124A fleet received retrofits that brought them up to the C standard. A pressurized variant was studied as the C-124X but never built, and during the mid-1950s, a much redesigned turboprop- powered, swept- wing derivative, designated XC-132, got as far as the mockup stage but was ultimately canceled in favor of the C-133.
C-124As began entering service during 1950 in time to play an important role in the Korean War (1950-1953). For the first time, MATS possessed a long- range aircraft capable of loading bulky items like tanks, guns, trucks, and construction equipment without major disassembly; and in Strategic Support Squadrons, new Globemasters gave SAC the ability to deliver large aircraft components to any of its widespread bases. As the USAF's C-124A and C fleet grew to planned strength in the mid-1950s, it formed the bulk- carrying nucleus of every major U.S. military airlift operation conducted from that time up until the late 1960s. Some of the C-124's more notable achievements included moving an entire squadron of Lockheed F-104s from the U.S. to Taiwan during the Formosa Straits Crisis in 1958; during Operation Deep Freeze (1957-1962), regular airdrops from C-124s formed the supply line from McMurdo Base to outlying stations in the Antarctic; and as part of Operation Big Lift in 1963, MATS C-124s moved the 2nd Armored Division and a TAC Strike Force from U.S. bases to Germany in two and a half days.
At their peak in 1963, 377 C-124s were operating with 20 different transport squadrons. As American involvement in Southeast Asia escalated in the mid-1960s, C-124s began flying transport sorties directly into South Vietnam, and from early 1966, continued with Military Airlift Command (MAC) when that organization replaced MATS. Although the USAF started the process of phasing- out C-124s from frontline service and transferring them to reserve and ANG units in mid-1960s, the type's bulk cargo capacity was not matched until Lockheed C-5s became operational with MAC during 1969-1970. From 1964 to 1972, to augment MATS/MAC operations, USAF reserve units flew C-124s on overseas sorties from eleven different bases within the continental U.S., and starting in 1966, they also served in eight ANG squadrons until the last examples were retired in mid-1974, finally ending the type's military service. The last recorded flight of a C-124 occurred on October 9, 1986 when C-124C AF Ser. No. 52-0994 was ferried from Selfridge ANG Base, Michigan to McChord AFB, Washington.
E.R.Johnson "American military transport aircraft since 1925", 2013
There was little doubt of the load-carrying capability of the C-74 and when, in late 1947, the newly-formed US Air Force decided it needed a heavy strategic cargo transport, discussions between the.USAF and Douglas resulted in development of the C-124 Globemaster II, based on the C-74.
In fact, the prototype YC-124 was basically the fifth C-74 provided with a new, deeper fuselage and strengthened landing gear. Powered by 2610kW R-4360-49 radial engines, it was flown for the first time on 27 November 1949. The type entered production as the C-124A, of which 204 were built, the first of them entering service with the USAF in May 1950. The next, and final, production version was the C-124C, with more-powerful R-4360 engines, weather radar in a distinctive nose radome and, equally useful recognition points, wingtip fairings housing combustion heaters to de-ice the wing and tailplane leading edges and to heat the cabin. C-124C production totalled 243, the last machine being delivered during May 1955.
The fuselage of the Globemaster II had clamshell nose loading doors with an associated built-in loading ramp, an electric hoist amidships which was a carry-over from the C-74, and two overhead cranes (each with a capacity of 7257kg which could traverse the entire length of the 23.47m-long cargo hold. The flight deck, accommodating a crew of five, was mounted high in the nose, over the clamshell doors. When used in a transport role (with two decks installed), the Globemaster II could carry a maximum of 200 fully-equipped troops, or 123 stretcher cases plus 45 ambulatory patients and 15 medical attendants.
Serving with the USAF's Air Materiel Command, Far Eastern Air Force, Military Air Transport Service, Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command, and used in conjunction with Douglas C-133s, the Globemaster Us remained in service until replaced by the Lockheed C-5A Galaxy during 1970.
When the Globemaster Is ended their useful, service life; some were acquired by civil cargo operators.
D.Donald "The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft", 1997
| CREW | 6 |
| PASSENGERS | 200 |
| ENGINE | 4 x P+W R-4360-63, 2795kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 84000 kg | 185189 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 53.1 m | 174 ft 3 in |
| Length | 39.8 m | 131 ft 7 in |
| Height | 14.7 m | 48 ft 3 in |
| Wing area | 233.0 m2 | 2507.99 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Cruise speed | 520 km/h | 323 mph |
| Ceiling | 6100 m | 20000 ft |
| Range w/max.fuel | 6500 km | 4039 miles |
| Range w/max payload | 1970 km | 1224 miles |
| Harry Provan, e-mail, 16.12.2011 05:42 Worked on c-124's, c-118, and Connies at Hickam AFB from 58-60 then got transferred over to maintaining the ground support equip. when the AF took it back from civilian workers. Did that for 1 year. Was at Shepard AFB for recip school latter part of 57.Hawaii was great duty. reply | | ROBERT L POLLOCK, e-mail, 23.11.2011 03:34 LOOKING FOR DAVID SCALES WE WERE ASSIGNED TO THE 85TH mas AT TRAVIS AFB FROM 65-67. THE c-124 WAS WITHOUT DOUBT ONE OF THE BEST AIRCRAFT EVER DESIGNED ALONG WITH THE c-130 AND THE c-141 reply | | ROGER WILLIAMS, e-mail, 16.11.2011 05:17 THE C124 WERE AT CHARLESTON AFB IN 1966. THE WAS A COMPATION WHICH GROUND CREW WHO HAD THE BEST PAINTED TAIL STAND. I WAS A C141 MECHANIC AT THAT TIME. THERE WAS SEVERAL C-130 AIRCRAFT THERE ALSO .. WE WENT TDY TO MCDILL AFB. AND FLEW ON A C-124 reply | | David Mincer, e-mail, 29.10.2011 00:54 Thanks Mike. No wonder my dad was so well rested after a flight across the Pacific and back :). Your info is just the sort of thing I've missed hearing about for the last few years since his passing. reply | |
| | Jack Hoyt, e-mail, 25.10.2011 23:57 I graduated in Class 53A and flew C-124's in the 1st SSS (a SAC squadron) at Biggs AFB, El Paso TX in 1953 and 1954. Any "alumni" of that squadron who read this page, please post a comment. reply | | Mike Routledge, e-mail, 24.10.2011 17:38 In response to David Mincer (22 Oct 2011) I was a flight engineer in 85 and 75 ATS about that time, but I don't remember having met your dad. There were a lot of Flight Engineers in each squadron. During departures from Hickam & Wake in hot weather, we held the primer swtches "on" to get the engines a little cooler, so we could close the cowl flaps a little more. That allowed the pilot to get a little more altitude. Seemed like we stayed very close to the water for a long, long time, when it was hot. During cruise flight, if the off duty engineer had been sleeping in the rear of the cabin, where there were three bunks, the engineer at the panel opened the big air duct valve in the rear of the cargo compartment, to blow air on him to wake him, when it was time for him to go back to "work". When I said I was in the 75th and 85th, I was in the 75th in '64 & '65, then transferred to the 85th in '65 until the 85th was deactivated, then transferred back to the 75th to C-141's. In '68, I was sent to Viet Nam to fly on AC-47. Many Flight Engineers were sent to fly on non enineer panel airplanes in VN, such as Caribous, C-47's, C-123's during the '64-'72 time period. Some Flight Engineers went to C-121's in southeast asia..I loved serving on the C-124 and have many fond memories of her. reply | | David Mincer, e-mail, 22.10.2011 19:36 My dad, Msgt William (Bill) Mincer, flew as a flight engineer on the 124 with the 85th ATS out of Travis AFB between 64-65. I remember him saying the crew sometimes having quite a time coaxing Old Shakey across the Pacific. If anyone has a memory of him or the missions they flew I would enjoy hearing from you. davnjan@att.net
Thank you all for your service. reply | | Bill Schulze, e-mail, 17.10.2011 07:33 After getting my 'Wings' in Oct.'56, I was assigned to the 84th ATS, MATS, stationed at Travis AFB, north of San Francisco. Our main job was to haul cargo from the U.S. to Haneda AFB, Japan or Hickam AFB. The C-124 was a very dependable plane - noisy and not pressurized, but a real "hauling bird". I enjoyed my time in the squadron and flew with some great aircraft commanders - many that were in WW2. I was discharged in April '58. It was a great 18 Months! reply | | Robert Williams, e-mail, 01.10.2011 23:33 I was in the 1617th Flightline Maint Sq from 1958 to 1961, I was assigned to the Orderly Room.Capt. Tritschler was the CO at that time, one of the nicest guys I knew was Sgt Guy Ober who was a Crew Chief on the C-133-s,typed up a lot of incident reports on a typewriter with carbon paper to make copies galore.No computers then. A different(Better) time. Still got a picture of the C-124-s in the wash rack, used to wash them down working for a private company. All that was was required was a pair of sneakers to walk on the wings. reply | | Fred Berry, e-mail, 26.09.2011 18:25 I have some ten thousand hours in the old lady. Was stationed at Dover, McChord, Kelly and Hickham air force bases. Much of my flight hours were spent in one of the three bunks on the flight deck. The normal proceedures for a long leg was for the AC to command, "gear up, climb power, you got her." He would then retire to the bunk! reply | | Brent Bachman, e-mail, 21.09.2011 16:24 At Hickam AFB 2-58 to 2-61 w /1502nd FLMS. The 1502nd FLMS.....1 Jan 57 designated & assigned to the 1502nd Maint
Group ~ 15 May 1958 re-assinged to the 1502nd ATW (Heavy).....18 Jan 1963 the 1502nd FLMS was deactivated.
Active duty 6 years & 17 days.
A 1502nd Squadron patch was made up after I left in Feb '58. Only have a picture of it.
Sone names from '59 to '61.....
Tony Auretto ~ George Baustert ~ Charlie Brandt ~ Charlie Bell ~ Don Berthel ~ Norm Berggren ~ Don Bonney ~ Bill Brackett ~ Len Chapman ~ Jim Dorer ~ Willie Eaton ~ Rod
Flinchbaugh ~ Waldo Fuller ~ Bill Goetz ~ Ken Hammond ~ Ralph Jones ~ Hal Lewis ~ John Lopes ~ Jim Lowe ~ Bill Monroe ~ Boe Mullinsd ~ Gerry Patten ~ Harry Provan ~ Warren Summers ~ Lars Wood reply | | Deb Grant, e-mail, 20.09.2011 01:01 Last year I came across this web site as I was searching for answers to my fathers military career. He was killed in a C124 crash in Spain in 1966. I was four years old. Since that posting I have heard from several of you and I just want to say a BIG THANK YOU for sharing your experiences with me. It is wonderful to see how fond most of you are of the C124. THANK YOU! God bless. Deb reply | | Marty, e-mail, 08.09.2011 22:15 I was at Dover AFB 1958-1961 1607th FlghtLn MT SQ When i first got there one of my assignments was refueling C-124s The first one I did took on 2000gal of 115 /145 before i realized it was a mosquito She got mad and flew off I left before she brought her friends back reply | | Rachel Ross, e-mail, 23.08.2011 19:18 I'm looking for information on the C-124 crash on December 20, 1952. The tail number is AF#0100, and the plane was flying out of Larson Air Force Base. This flight had the nickname of "Operation Sleighride". I cannot find any information on this crash or S /SGT O. B. Weaver who died in this crash. He was with th 15 TRP CARR SQ AF. Any information is greatly appreciated. reply | |
| | AL SCHOESSOW, e-mail, 16.08.2011 01:31 I worked radio and navigation equipment for three yeasrs in England on the F-101. then got out for two years and wanted to hepl the guys in vietnam and had to enlist in the AFRES at Stewart AFB in NY. They had C-119's and there was a job open for an Air Reserve Technician so i got it and stayed at Stewart. After about two years we got C-124s. I continued as a Radio and Radar Navigation Technician and was promoted from e-4 to E-6 in the reserve. That was neat! Anyway what i wanted to point out was that our C-124s had 22 different systems to work on, and most of them we learned from a field maintenance detachment. Such as the APS-42. I did not work on radar while i was in England. That was left to the Fire Control boys. Almost all of my time on the F-101 was changing black boxes, both radio and navigation equipment. Now her comes the C-124 and the APS-42, and the APN-22 radar altimiter. Lets see if i can remember all the 22 systems.
ARC-27 UHF RADIO, VHF 101 VHF RADIO, HF 101 HF RADIO, ARC-8 HF RADIO, BC-348 HF RADIO RECIEVER, ARN-6 AND ARN-59 ADF, ARA-25 UHF DIRECTION FINDER, CRT-3 EMERGENCY RADIO, URC-10 EMERGENCY RADIO, APX 25 IFF SET, ARN-21 TACAN, ARN-14 NAVIGATION RADIO, SCR-18 RADIO ALTIMETER, APN-22 RADAR ALTIMETER, 618T-1 HF RADIO, 618S-1 HF RADIO, APN-70 LORAN, AIC-3, AIC-8, AIC-10 INTERCOMM EQUIPMENT, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST ARN-18 GLIDE SLOPE EQUIPMENT. THAT MAKES 22. IF ANYONE CAN REMEMBER ANY OTHERS PLEASE POST IT. UPON READING ALL THE P[OSTS AND I READ THEM ALL, THERE WAS ONLY ONE RADIO RADAR TROOP WHO POSTED. AND YES I HAVE CRAWLED INTO THE WINGS TO TEST THE INTERPHONE JACKS. oops sory for the caps. i too loved the 124 and i got to fly in it twice. once in 1959 on a TDY to Wheelus AFB in Lybia. 18 hours. what i remember about this flight was it was hot in the cabin, then it was cold, then hot, then cold, then hot, then cold all the way from Englang to Tripoli. The loadmaster was lucky. He had a parka. I had a field jacket. What was i going to do with a parka in North Africa. When he got cold he put the parka on. I had to wait till i woke him up so he could call upstairs to turn the heat on. the second time i flew in one was at Stewart when i was going to be put on flying status. had to fly to get my status updated. never got that far, we were deactivated soon after. by the way we were activated in 68 when the n koreans took the Pueblo. I was scheduled to go to Korea for a year when i btoke my collar bone. spent the final year of active duty at Stewart. A luckey break wouldn't you say? I wonder if there are any other AFRES troops out there that want to chat. reply |
| Walt Martley, e-mail, 12.08.2011 15:10 C J Crane, I crewed 150 during 1955-56 as a hazardous duty flight mech ( no wings as an engine mechanic, but $55 /month plus TDY money). . Thank you for a well equipped aircraft. Made it across both big oceans on her reply | | C. J. Crane, e-mail, 11.08.2011 22:15 On return from Korea in 1952 I went to work for Douglas and installed much of the electrical on planes 150 to 175 was present for the prestntation of number 150 to the Air Force. For those wishing pictures I suggest the Long Beach Press Telegram files. I think they are available in their library. reply | | ole mikey, e-mail, 11.08.2011 04:58 Does anyone know the actual length of the flight deck from windshiel to back of bunks? reply | | Phillip R. Kraus, e-mail, 11.08.2011 00:07 From 1966 to 1968 I was station at Hickam afb as a aircraft mech. on a 124 with 61st. OMS. I didn't realize it at the time but really enjoyed my time there and have many great memories. I would like to hear from anyone during this time if they remember the types of cargo that was transported on old shakey. I know we shipped tanks, helicopters, trucks,food,and agent orange plus other hazardious materials. Can anyone verify this?? I welcome your response. reply | | Wallace Boone, e-mail, 07.08.2011 02:09 I went to receip. school at shepard 1956. Then to Little Rock AFB. Eng.buildup(4360')for KC-97's.next shipped out to Guam 58-59. Eng. buildup shop 4360's for KC-97's and WB-50's.Jan 60 went to McCoy AFB Orlando fl. I started out working on the enginesin postdock on C-124's That was too much of a sweat shop opperation. I transfered to the Eng.Condition crew. There were 5 of us . I can't remenber how many a /c reply |
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Was at Ben Guerier in Morrocco once. Winds from the Atlas Mtns was cold, wore a Parka on the flight line. Next day thunder storms. Worked on some of those radio and nav systems.
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