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Description
| Manufacturer: | Convair | |
| Base model: | C-99 | |
| Designation: | XC-99 | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1925-1962 | |
| Basic role: | Transport | |
| Status: | Experimental | |
Specifications
| Length: | 182' 6" | 55.6 m | |
| Wingspan: | 230' 0" | 70.1 m | |
| Gross Weight: | 265,000 lb | 120,181 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 6 | ||
| Powerplant: | Pratt & Whitney R-4360-25 | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 3000 | ||
Performance
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| Kelly Field Heritage Museum | Kelly AFB | Texas |
XC-99 on display
Kelly Field Heritage Museum |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Michael French Hampton, VA | Visited the XC-99 at Kelly AFB between 1979-1999 and saw the major components outside the Air Force Museum Annex in summer 2008.
I phone the Artisans at the Museum Annex occasionally to check on progress and they report that they stay under the gun with a lot of assorted museum priorities and other aircraft restorations. Not clear when the XC-99 effort will begin in ernest, but structural repair to a damaged wing spar has been completed which is one step closer to re-assembly. Lately, the XC-99 remake does not appear on the radar screen and the Ohio winters are not overly kind to exposed metal. Hopes are that this dream will be kept alive so that many aviation historians and enthusiasts will be able to behold the unique XC-99 (world's largest pusher prop,cargo aircraft)on display in a covered environment at the USAF museum. 10/06/2011 @ 06:25 [ref: 49411] |
| M James , TX | It's good to see this bird being perserved. I was with the 2954 CLSS when we moved her from her lot over to the base. I have seveal pictures that I want to Scan that show her with what I believe is the shuttle Columbia(on its 747 transporter) in the background.
I recall it was a long day and we were afraid we would rip her landing gear off because the brakes were frozen. I also rember taking my son up into her before we moved her, she was pretty beaten up on the inside and I was afraid I would go through the floor. Also does anyone have the date she was moved to Kelly. I don't have a date on any of my photos and my memory can play tricks. I think it was spring 1993 but not sure. 08/01/2011 @ 13:46 [ref: 44325] |
| James Raby redmond, WA | My father Walter Raby flew the XC 99 from 1952 - 1955. He was the youngest pilot to fly it at the age of 27. aprox 300 hours total. He flew out of kelly field from 1952 - 1961 logging over 10000 hours in the c 124. He flew b 25 in ww2 and c 46 and c47 in korea. in the 1960s he flew c130s and 141s. Moved to Seattle in 1967 to join boeing as test and instructor pilot. flew 727 737 747 and 757
retired in 1986 because of age not by choice. He is still living and comes into the office 4 days a week to be part of the action. 02/11/2011 @ 07:54 [ref: 35977] |
| James Raby redmond, WA | My father Walter Raby flew the XC 99 from 1952 - 1955. He was the youngest pilot to fly it at the age of 27. aprox 300 hours total. He flew out of kelly field from 1952 - 1961 logging over 10000 hours in the c 124. He flew b 25 in ww2 and c 46 and c47 in korea. in the 1960s he flew c130s and 141s. Moved to Seattle in 1967 to join boeing as test and instructor pilot. flew 727 737 747 and 757
retired in 1986 because of age not by choice. He is still living and comes into the office 4 days a week to be part of the action. 02/11/2011 @ 07:53 [ref: 35976] |
| doug Schofield bakersfield, CA | I was stationed with the 99th bomber wing @ Fairchild AFB, WA. in 1954. We had 2 wings of B 36 aircraft (92nd & 99th).
Since we were set up with extended runways,the XC99 cargo plane used to make regular visits. It was an awesome plane for it's time. 12/08/2010 @ 10:04 [ref: 34042] |
| Vernon P. Wagner, Lt Col, USAF (Ret Bakersfield, CA | I had the good fortune to see the XC-99 in flight on two occasions as I spent a lot of time at Edwards AFB in the 1950's. The last time I saw it was when the XC-99 made a low pass over the 29 Palms Marine Base on the Mojave Desert just before sunset. Without warning, the ground began to tremble followed by the mighty throb of 6 recips in sync. The massive XC-99 came over a hill at treetop level shining brightly in the setting sunlight. I can still recall how I alerted my brothers by screaming, "It's the XC-99!"
On the CX-99's first visit to Tinker AFB, it took three days to unload, and reload the plane. The ramp on which it had been parked was cracked, and unusable after it departed. Seeing it as a 'birdhouse' at Kelly AFB was heartbreaking. I'm VERY happy is has been moved to the AF Museum for restoration. 10/24/2010 @ 17:27 [ref: 31650] |
| Vernon P. Wagner, Lt Col, USAF (Ret Bakersfield, CA | I had the good fortune to see the XC-99 in flight on two occasions as I spent a lot of time at Edwards AFB in the 1950's. The last time I saw it was when the XC-99 made a low pass over the 29 Palms Marine Base on the Mojave Desert just before sunset. Without warning, the ground began to tremble followed by the mighty throb of 6 recips in sync. The massive XC-99 came over a hill at treetop level shining brightly in the setting sunlight. I can still recall how I alerted my brothers by screaming, "It's the XC-99!"
On the CX-99's first visit to Tinker AFB, it took three days to unload, and reload the plane. The ramp on which it had been parked was cracked, and unusable after it departed. Seeing it as a 'birdhouse' at Kelly AFB was heartbreaking. I'm VERY happy is has ben moved to the AF Museum for restoration. 10/24/2010 @ 17:26 [ref: 31649] |
| LeRoy Wicklund Page, AZ | I was there in November 1947 to witness the first flight of the XC-99 along with My Mother, Father 2 brothers sister, It was an awsome sight I have never forgotten. I was only 4 years old but remember it well, I still have pictures of that memorable day. 03/15/2010 @ 21:06 [ref: 25885] |
| Ken Johnson , NM | Couple months ago, I visited the AF Museum in Dayton. I took advantage of a tour to their Restoration Hangars on WPAFB. As we approached those hangars, on the ramp area were obvious pieces of the XC-99, awaiting its turn for rebuilting and restoration. This was the second time I had seen it in my life. The first was in 1955 when I was working at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM, where we had 4 B-36s for training nuclear bombing crews. I was walking across the parking lot one day, when I became aware of an overhead rumble of those 6 P&W radials. I assumed it was one of our 36s returning from the practice bombing range, but none-the-less I glanced up and resumed the walk to my car. I took about 2 steps, stopped and said to myself: "Hey, that plane has the engines, wing planform, and tail assembly of a 36, but the fuselage is not B-36. It must be the XC-99!" Indeed it was because I read in the paper days later that was its last flight from CA to DC to be placed in the Smithsonian. I stood in awe until it was out of sight, heading east. The next I heard about it was a couple of years ago, on a Website (could have been this one). It had stopped that flight at Kelly AFB for some testing and was still there slowly returning to the soil, but some group was raising money to have it disassembled and shipped to the AF Museum. This is to let you know, it made it! 01/24/2010 @ 15:43 [ref: 25628] |
| Kenneth Benner , WI | In 1953 I was going through basic trainning at Lackland. The C-99 would take off and land almost over our barracks. It would really shake the buildings when it when over. It was one big BIRD. 01/10/2010 @ 05:10 [ref: 25545] |
Recent photos uploaded by our visitors
