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KC-97G “Stratofreighter”

The KC-97 closely resembles the B-29 bomber, the aircraft on which it was based. The KC-97 has the same wing, tail and engines as the B-29, but has a whale-like “double-bubble” fuselage.  

Outfitted with a flying boom and loaded with fuel, the four-engine, propeller-driven aircraft could fly fast enough to match the minimum speed of a B-47 bomber. As the pioneer aircraft for aerial refueling, the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron, at Hunter Air Force Base in Georgia, set a record by transferring 563,270 gallons of fuel to B-47S ′s in sixteen days in 1955.  

The Museum’s KC-97G was manufactured by Boeing in Seattle, Washington, and delivered to the USAF on April 3, 1955. It was dropped from the inventory and delivered to us in September 1964.  

Specifications

Aircraft Type: Boeing KC-97G, S/N 53-0198, “Stratofreighter”  

Mission: Aerial refueling tanker-transport  

Number built: 880  

Powerplant: Four Pratt & Whitney R-4360-59B Wasp Major air-cooled radial engines, 3,500 horsepower  

Weight: Empty 82,490 pounds, maximum takeoff weight 175,000 pounds  

Dimensions: Wingspan 141’3″, length 110’4″, height 38’3″  

Performance: Maximum speed 375 MPH, cruising speed 297 MPH, service ceiling 30,000 feet, range 1,350 miles  

Additional Exhibits