My grandfather was the pilot in command on the final flight into San Antonio when it was determined to have a cracked wing spar and grounded...never to fly again. My father will be at Wright-Patterson next week so I'm hoping he can take some updated pictures of the restoration progress.
great video. convair built this to test airframe etc. without having to add military hardware and astounded all with what it could do. also designed a passenger and a seaplane version but neither went beyond drawing boards. one of the 1st planes to use prop reversing to back up to end of runway to increase takeoff run. only one of its kind and hope restoration gets done.
99 was used to gather data on B-36 components (wings, engine cooling, etc) without waiting for military components. Convair planned for commercial versions that never came. It still holds some records.
I saw one of these parked at Kelly AFB in San Antonio in 1976. Later, I saw a B-36 in Fort Worth outside Carswell AFB in 1986. I was impressed about the resolve and determination they proved possible when were designed in early 1940's. I got to meet a few former Convair employees who were hired to construct them. They all were proud of their service.
A 100,000 pound cargo capacity was unheard of in 1956. But the cargo capacity of the very common Boeing 747-400 freighter is 249,000 pounds. 307,600 pounds for the 747-8F. We've come a long way, baby!
That plane was So Cool sitting west of the runway. Iconic it was, you could park and go up in it back in the 60s&70s off of Grodon Rd. I remember getting into the cargo hole and look across the wing at the engines. Weird shaped windows like on a boat. Miss that Huge Bird.210🇨🇱💣🧨🍺🌮🍺🌮💥💥
thanks for posting.. was reading about it and thought i check to see if it was on the tube.. great stuff.. they're in the process of bringing one from texas to dayton af museum for full restoration..
@@pittardm The reason I asked is my dad was stationed at Kelly during that time on the YC-121J turboprop test program. He was commissioned then, but had been a Flying Sergeant. He knew a Master Sergeant on the XC-99 program as a Flying Sergeant Pilot. Thanks for your reply!
Saw this prototype X-99 flying low on final approach over my old elementary school building in Dallas Texas and I was amazed by how much vibration it caused as it was flying in to Love Field Dallas Texas in 1969..
When I was a kid growing up in San Antonio, the XC-99 was on display next to Kelly field and in good condition. I went on a tour through the plane many times. I did notice it sat for quite some time in a state of terrible disrepair. I am glad to hear to that it is to be restored.
My dad was the pilot of the XC-99 in the late 40s, early 50s. I grew up hearing stories about this plane. In summer, they had to take off before 9 a.m. or the air wouldn’t be dense enough.
just wondering the choice for pusher props than tractor ones gave more benefit, because from what i know, the propwash provides more lift to the wings in tractor type
One used to fly into Fairchild about once a month. Fairchild had a nuclear storage facility called Deep Creek. They would off load there. I was on board once to change an Altimeter and it was gigantic but totally impractical. The C-124 came along and was the heavy hauler for many years. It had the same P&W R14360 engines.
@hondastrt2 It is sitting there, but it is in such bad shape the last I heard was it will be too costly and nearly impossible to restore. Sadly, its next stop may be the scrap heap. I saw it sitting off the ramp at Lackland AFB before it was brought to wright-Pat. It now sits outside in pieces.
Kind of a forerunner to the A380! Its kind of amazing it wasn't scrapped. Its currently being restored. It sat at an airfield in San Antonio, Texas for years and years, but was disassembled a year or two ago and shipped cross-country. Its going to a museum.
Even the new planes don't all dwarf it by that much. The Antonov-22 is only 30 feet longer at about 190 feet. The Boeing 747-800 does dwarf it though at 250 feet. Freighters built on other civilian widebody transport platforms also are larger. But the C-99 was big. I saw the B-36 at the Castle Air Museum in California when it was being restored. It is a very big plane.
100,000 pounds! and a couple of years go, the new Boeing 747-800 took off with 1.1 million pounds! how far have we gone! the power of jet engine technology!
The history of avaition is really the history of horsepower. The limiting factor in aircraft has always been how much horsepower can the aircraft pick up. As horsepower has gotten lighter aircraft have gotten bigger. I have seen that video of the 474-8I making the million pound plus takeoff. What is even more impressive is to think that each one of those GEnx engines on the 747-8 make more thrust than all 8 J-47s on the B-52 put together.
+Eric Minette The B-52 never used the General Electric J-47 (even on its prototype). The total-thrust from the 8 Pratt & Whitney TF-33s is more than 136,000 Lbs (on the B-52-H).
+Fitz A (Wrong.) You are totally-confused between an aircraft's payload and its total weight. 100, 000-lbs referred to its CARGO weight. Your 1.1 million pounds refers to the 747-800 TOTAL weight.
My Dad was a Flight Engineer on this aircraft....
Any stories?
My grandfather was the pilot in command on the final flight into San Antonio when it was determined to have a cracked wing spar and grounded...never to fly again. My father will be at Wright-Patterson next week so I'm hoping he can take some updated pictures of the restoration progress.
great video. convair built this to test airframe etc. without having to add military hardware and astounded all with what it could do. also designed a passenger and a seaplane version but neither went beyond drawing boards. one of the 1st planes to use prop reversing to back up to end of runway to increase takeoff run. only one of its kind and hope restoration gets done.
Giant bird..crawling out to inspect the horizontal surface is amazing.
99 was used to gather data on B-36 components (wings, engine cooling, etc) without waiting for military components. Convair planned for commercial versions that never came. It still holds some records.
6 big pushers - what a great sound!
I saw one of these parked at Kelly AFB in San Antonio in 1976. Later, I saw a B-36 in Fort Worth outside Carswell AFB in 1986. I was impressed about the resolve and determination they proved possible when were designed in early 1940's. I got to meet a few former Convair employees who were hired to construct them. They all were proud of their service.
A 100,000 pound cargo capacity was unheard of in 1956. But the cargo capacity of the very common Boeing 747-400 freighter is 249,000 pounds. 307,600 pounds for the 747-8F. We've come a long way, baby!
That plane was So Cool sitting west of the runway. Iconic it was, you could park and go up in it back in the 60s&70s off of Grodon Rd. I remember getting into the cargo hole and look across the wing at the engines. Weird shaped windows like on a boat. Miss that Huge Bird.210🇨🇱💣🧨🍺🌮🍺🌮💥💥
thanks for posting.. was reading about it and thought i check to see if it was on the tube.. great stuff.. they're in the process of bringing one from texas to dayton af museum for full restoration..
Full restoration ain't gonna happen buddy, this thing was chopped up into many pieces and is just sitting somewhere in the NMUSAF.
My father logged the most hours as pilot of this plane (1951 on). It's so great to see this old newsreel!
Was your dad a Flying Sergeant?
@@garyw8481 No, he was an officer.
@@pittardm The reason I asked is my dad was stationed at Kelly during that time on the YC-121J turboprop
test program. He was commissioned then, but had been a Flying Sergeant. He knew a Master Sergeant on the XC-99 program as a Flying Sergeant Pilot. Thanks for your reply!
@@garyw8481 You are very welcome!
The low rumble heard on takeoff is due to the prop tips going supersonic. The C-133 sounded the same with it's turboprops.
Saw this prototype X-99 flying low on final approach over my old elementary school building in Dallas Texas and I was amazed by how much vibration it caused as it was flying in to Love Field Dallas Texas in 1969..
When I was a kid growing up in San Antonio, the XC-99 was on display next to Kelly field and in good condition. I went on a tour through the plane many times. I did notice it sat for quite some time in a state of terrible disrepair. I am glad to hear to that it is to be restored.
Wow !!!
My dad was the pilot of the XC-99 in the late 40s, early 50s. I grew up hearing stories about this plane. In summer, they had to take off before 9 a.m. or the air wouldn’t be dense enough.
That thing is just amazing 8D
Staggering out in ground effect....
just wondering the choice for pusher props than tractor ones gave more benefit, because from what i know, the propwash provides more lift to the wings in tractor type
wow. 18 man crew.
One used to fly into Fairchild about once a month. Fairchild had a nuclear storage facility called Deep Creek. They would off load there. I was on board once to change an Altimeter and it was gigantic but totally impractical. The C-124 came along and was the heavy hauler for many years. It had the same P&W R14360 engines.
@hondastrt2 It is sitting there, but it is in such bad shape the last I heard was it will be too costly and nearly impossible to restore. Sadly, its next stop may be the scrap heap. I saw it sitting off the ramp at Lackland AFB before it was brought to wright-Pat. It now sits outside in pieces.
Kind of a forerunner to the A380!
Its kind of amazing it wasn't scrapped. Its currently being restored. It sat at an airfield in San Antonio, Texas for years and years, but was disassembled a year or two ago and shipped cross-country. Its going to a museum.
She's sitting outside at Wright-Patt. In sorry shape, but I know that she'll be in better shape eventually.
Parts moved to MASDC until such time as full restoration effort can commence.
Surprising that this did not go into full production....
So what is the advantage of having the propeller in back
Is that Kelly Field where the XC-99 is taking off from? I know the SAAMA is where it was based.
The XC-99 also flew out of San Diego's Lindbergh Field.
Is that a crewmember hanging from a ladder aft of the cargo bay at 0:45? Why?
o god I've been looking for the XC-99 for my FSX does anyone know where i can get one?
It looks so big, alas new planes dwarf in size and capacity.
Even the new planes don't all dwarf it by that much. The Antonov-22 is only 30 feet longer at about 190 feet. The Boeing 747-800 does dwarf it though at 250 feet. Freighters built on other civilian widebody transport platforms also are larger. But the C-99 was big. I saw the B-36 at the Castle Air Museum in California when it was being restored. It is a very big plane.
There was only ONE built
so this plane was a double decker?
Yes
my grandfather flew in this!
That plane makes a sound that will not be heard in the 21st century unfortunately.
Flying elephant!
41 million pounds of load??
100,000 pounds! and a couple of years go, the new Boeing 747-800 took off with 1.1 million pounds! how far have we gone! the power of jet engine technology!
The history of avaition is really the history of horsepower. The limiting factor in aircraft has always been how much horsepower can the aircraft pick up. As horsepower has gotten lighter aircraft have gotten bigger. I have seen that video of the 474-8I making the million pound plus takeoff. What is even more impressive is to think that each one of those GEnx engines on the 747-8 make more thrust than all 8 J-47s on the B-52 put together.
+Eric Minette The B-52 never used the General Electric J-47 (even on its prototype). The total-thrust from the 8 Pratt & Whitney TF-33s is more than 136,000 Lbs (on the B-52-H).
+Fitz A (Wrong.) You are totally-confused between an aircraft's payload and its total weight. 100, 000-lbs referred to its CARGO weight. Your 1.1 million pounds refers to the 747-800 TOTAL weight.
You are right, the B-52 always used the Pratts. My mistake
The 747-8F has over 300,000 lbs payload capacity.
They crippled it! No burners!!!
When I worked at Kelly in the 1990s I always wondered why money was wasted on that relic. I still wonder.
Big,stupifyingly big.