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Description
| Manufacturer: | Boeing | |
| Base model: | C-97 | |
| Designation: | KC-97 | |
| Version: | G | |
| Nickname: | Stratofreighter | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1925-1962 | |
| Basic role: | Transport | |
| Modified Mission: | Tanker | |
Specifications
| Length: | 117' 5" | 35.7 m | |
| Height: | 38' 3" | 11.6 m | |
| Wingspan: | 141' 3" | 43.0 m | |
| Wingarea: | 1,769.0 sq ft | 164.3 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 82,500 lb | 37,414 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 175,000 lb | 79,365 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 4 | ||
| Powerplant: | Pratt & Whitney R-4360-35C | ||
Performance
| Range: | 4,300 miles | 6,924 km | |
| Max Speed: | 375 mph | 603 km/h | 325 kt |
| Climb: | 20,000 ft/min | 6,095 m/min | |
| Ceiling: | 30,200 ft | 9,204 m | |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| Pima Air & Space Museum | Tucson | Arizona |
| Strategic Air Command Museum | Ashland | Nebraska |
KC-97G on display
Pima Air & Space Museum |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Hugh Adams Grapevine, TX | I was a radio operator assigned to KC 97G 52883 from 1956 to 1959. What was was, Lake Charles AFB. Great Acft. Made a belly landing and flew test flight months later.
04/11/2015 @ 08:27 [ref: 69031] |
| Jerry Connors Myrtle Beach, SC | What a wonderful A/C the C97 was, I started out as Engine Repair mechanic with the 105 NewYork Air Guard stationed at White Plains NY, they brought in Instructors for Flight Engineers School of which I was able to attend and my love for that A/C went to my head, I was able to build up a raw engine put it on a run up stand and run it up to full power before installing it on the A/C, and then I would have the opportunity to take the engineers seat and fly the first check flight with a new engine,as a full time Tech with the guard unit was the best time of my life I,worked with some of the Best Mechanic's I will always remember. 03/30/2015 @ 08:23 [ref: 69007] |
| Jimmy Rowe marion, IN | Does anybody remember S/SGT or T/SGT Richard Rowe ?Was crew chief on KC-97s from 60-66.Also a couple of his good friends Jim Feehley or Frenchy Benoit.Thanks, his son Jimmy Rowe. Pease AFB NH. 03/28/2015 @ 13:38 [ref: 69006] |
| Jimmy Rowe marion, IN | Does anybody remember S/SGT or T/SGT Richard Rowe ?Was crew chief on KC-97s from 60-66.Also a couple of his good friends Jim Feehley or Frenchy Benoit.Thanks, his son Jimmy Rowe. 03/28/2015 @ 13:36 [ref: 69005] |
| George E Weekley cibolo, TX | I was a flight engineer on the KC-97-E,F and G models and the C-97-G model. Stationed at Randolph AFB from 1957-1963, Pease AFB 1963-1965. Then Wiesbaden AFB 1972-1975. I am
presently a member of the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation where we are working to get our C-97-G model serial# 52-2718 in the air. As we speak Tim Chopp the Pres.of our org is at Floyd Bennett field in New York City, working on the aircraft. If you have ever listened to the purr of a 4360-35,65,or 59b or watched one of those beutiful birds fly,go to the web page, berlinairlift historicalfoundation, sign up and come help us get this beautiful bird back into the air. 10/27/2014 @ 04:05 [ref: 68724] |
| Don Bradley York, PA | If anyone knows where I can listen to an R-4360-59B engine running please get back to me. I would do almost anything to hear one of these wonderful engines cranking and starting. Nothing in this world can match the sounds of that. A ton of smoke and then a smooth running engine. Awesome. 04/26/2014 @ 08:49 [ref: 68463] |
| Ken Tarwater Kansas City, MO | It is great to see comments about guys telling where and when they served and asking for former friends to get in touch. I have to tell you about my squadron, the 307th Bomb Wing stationed from 1954 to 1965 at Lincoln AFB, Lincoln, Nebraska. The camaraderie of this group of B-47 and KC-97 Officers and Airman is one of the greatest stories told during these years of the Cold War. Major General Pete Todd (Deceased 2013) was a member of this squadron and writes the foreword of "Cold War Cornhuskers"Written by 307th SAC Brat Author Mike Hill. It took Mike many years to write this story which he said many times it was a labor of love. All that served at Lincoln during these years was able to tell their story and send pictures to Mike Hill. Gen Todd tells in the foreword what he believes enabled this group to thrive after the Base closed in 1965. Because of this 307th Bomb Wing Association I am able to keep up with many of the fellows that I worked and went TDY all over the world with. When one takes his last flight, I get to say Goodbye Friend, see you soon. I served in the 307th ARS, Lincon AFB from July 1956 to 1960, A1c Ken Tarwater 03/19/2014 @ 12:21 [ref: 68424] |
| Ernest O Brown Sonora, CA | I was a navigator with the 70th ARS at Little Rock from mid 1961 until late 1963 when I went to the 509th at Pease. When that squadron closed, I finished my 97 time with the 100th at Pease. Even with Goose Bay, Sondestrom, Frobisher and a Reflex tour, it was still some of the best duty I had in almost 20 years as a navigator. I must admit, though, we did have a tendency to call the plane the Boeing tri-moter. I completed very few missions on all four engines, especially at Little Rock where most of our missions were supporting the B-47 crew upgrade program of the 70 Bomb Wing. 03/10/2014 @ 15:46 [ref: 68414] |
| Charles Landis New Braunfels, TX |
First duty assignment,1956,509th AREFS, Walker AFB, NM.. Maintenance, then changed to OMS. 58, the wing moved to Pease AFB, NH. Spent a tour at the Goose, transient alert, handled a lot of 97s going onto the alert pad. Next assignment, 376th OMS, Lockbourne AFB. OH. Assigned as asst cc on 53-136, till I went to March AFB, in 63. Got out in 64 and spent time with the CAL ANG, on 97s. For all those, that loved the 97, my chance came, in 95. I went to work with a outfit in Corpus Christie, TX., that owned a surplus 97. Helped them pull the annual on 52-2718, and worked that airplane in AK. We hauled salmon from the outlying ports to the cannery at Kenai. You want something that will make you fill young again, try it. That plane has now been restored and is owned by the Berlin Airlift Association. She is supposed to be a flying museum. She is painted in the same colors as the XC-97, that was used during the Berlin Airlift. Believe me, I didn't know a 97 was used then. Google her tail number, for more info. Of all the 97,s I worked on, 52-2718 and 52-2698 are the only 2 remaining flyable 97s left. My old girl friend, 52-2697, my first acft in 56, She is a static display at Grissom ARB, IN. I got the chance to go inside her a couple of years ago. Many good memories. 01/13/2014 @ 11:11 [ref: 68295] |
| Don Bradley York, PA | Hey Bill: I was lucky with taking our squadron aircraft to IRAN which was at that time at Olmstead AFB near Harrisburg, PA. Since my home in York was 21 miles away I was the guy picked to ferry the aircraft back and forth. I got to stay at home for a week, then take an aircraft back to Westover and then repeat. I did this for several months. Good duty to say the least. We had prop retrofits and some other upgrades done there. Still nothing in the world better sounding than those R-4360's running up. The smells and sounds! That was better duty than being on Alert at Sondrestrom AFB or Harmon AFB in the cold. Just to relive a few flights on the great KC-97's would be awesome. I just spent a week with my old room mate reliving old time. A1C Bobby R. Lambert of 52-635. Neither one of can hear a dang thing but we had fun. 01/11/2014 @ 05:22 [ref: 68293] |
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