← Back to Squawk list
  • 25

Super Guppy Swallows NASA Aircraft Whole

Submitted
 
The Super Guppy has never been to space, but it has a long history of helping NASA get there. The odd-body, oversize aircraft has helped transport components of the Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab missions, and more recently played a key role in the construction of the International Space Station. (news.cnet.com) More...

Tom Kearney
TrendsetterNews junkieExplorerOutspokenPromoterEnlightenedAnnouncer

Sort type: [Top] [Newest]


preacher1
preacher1 2
What is really noticable is the guppy's takeoff and basically just the straight up takeoff, all 3 up at the same time, no real rotation. Is that normal or is pilot just showing off? lol
Reply ↓•Permalink•Report
zcolescott
Zachary Colescott 1
...would it not cost less to fly the two jets to their final destination??
Reply ↓•Permalink•Report
TorstenHoff
Torsten Hoff 1
They are no longer airworthy. It seems that trucking them would have worked and been cheaper.
Reply ↓•Permalink•Parent•Report
skylloyd
skylloyd 1
I've watched there departures a number of times, and this appears to be the normal lift-off.
Reply ↓•Permalink•Report
frank1711
frank1711 1
NASA Dryden website story -

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/super_guppy.html
Reply ↓•Permalink•Report
jimquinndallas
Jim Quinn 1
Why spend massive amounts of money to move two aircraft a few hundred miles by the SuperGuppy? Why not fly the T-38's? Too, here's a question: Why fly the planes to ELP to be dismantled, only to return the parts to Ellington where the T-38's are based? Is it just me, or is his a headscratcher? Why not simply dismantle the T-38's at Ellington and use the parts right there rather than move the planes, dismantle them, then ship them piece-by-piece back to where they came from?
Reply ↓•Permalink•Report
frank1711
frank1711 1
The T-38s are no longer air-worthy, hence the need for the Super Guppy to transport them. They were flown from Dryden in Southern California to El Paso to be dismantled, after the usuable parts have been removed the airframes and other remaining parts will be trucked to Davis-Monthan near Tucson for final dispostion by the Air Force's Aerospace Maintenance and Recovery Center. The usuable parts will be used for still-operating El Paso based NASA T-38s. The only Ellington field connection here is the fact that the Super Guppy is based there.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/super_guppy.html
Reply ↓•Permalink•Parent•Report
yellowseven
Paul Simpson 0
(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

Super Guppy Loads Two T-38 Jets

Super Guppy Swallows T-38s; Heads for El Paso. Two NASA T-38 aircraft were swallowed whole by NASA's Super Guppy recently on Dryden Flight Research Center's back ramp. The Guppy then airlifted the two retired T-38s to El Paso, Texas, where they will be dismantled for parts to keep other T-38s flown by NASA's Johnson Space Center flyable. Only the T-38s' wingtips were removed to enable them to fit in the Guppy's 25-foot-wide cargo bay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmnm5B-Qgs
Reply ↓•Permalink•Report

Login

Forgot password?
Don't have an account? Register now (free) for customized features, flight alerts, and more!
Join FlightAware
Did you know that FlightAware flight tracking is supported by advertising?
You can help us keep FlightAware free by allowing ads from FlightAware.com. We work hard to keep our advertising relevant and unobtrusive to create a great experience. It's quick and easy to whitelist ads on FlightAware or please consider our premium accounts.
Dismiss