C-124 Globemaster II

History of the U.S. Air Force C-124 Globemaster II

C-124 Globemaster II (from the Topps Wings Friend or Foe collection)

The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II evolved from the earlier Douglas C-74. The first flight of the C-124 airplane took place in November of 1949, and deliveries to the U.S. Air Force of C-124As began in May of 1950. Many referred to the large aircraft as "Old Shakey".

To facilitate cargo handling, the C-124 featured "clamshell" loading doors and hydraulic ramps in the nose and an elevator under the aft fuselage. It was capable of handling such

bulky cargo as tanks, field guns, bulldozers and trucks. It could also be converted into a transport capable of carrying 200 fully-equipped soldiers or 127 litter patients and their attendants in its double-decked cabin.

The C-124A was followed into service by the C-124C, which featured more-powerful engines, as well as wingtip-mounted combustion heaters that provided cabin heating and wing and tail surface deicing, and an APS-42 weather radar in a distinctive nose "thimble." These latter improvements were eventually retrofitted to the C-124As.

Douglas C-124C Globemaster II S/N 52-1004

With the introduction of the C-141 Starlifter into active service, most C-124 planes were transferred to the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard by 1970. The first ANG unit to receive the C-124C was the last Air Force unit to retire their aircraft in September of 1974.

C-124 Globemaster II Specifications

Maximum speed: 320 mph
Range: 2,175 miles
Span: 174 ft. 1 in.
Length: 130 ft.
Height: 48 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 216,000 lbs. maximum

C-124 Surviving Aircraft

The U.S. Air Force purchased 448 C-124s before production ended in 1955.

Nine of the aircraft have survived, and eight are on display in the United States.

Model	S/N	Location	City	ST
C-124A	49-0258	Air Mobility Command Museum	Dover	DE
C-124C	51-0089	Museum of Aviation   (photo below)	Robins AFB	GA
C-124C	52-0943	KAI Air Museum	Korea
C-124C	52-0994	McChord Air Museum	McChord AFB	WA
C-124C	52-1000	Jimmy Doolittle Air & Space Museum	Travis AFB	CA
C-124C	52-1004	Pima Air & Space Museum   (photo below)	Tucson	AZ
C-124C	52-1066	National Museum of the United States Air Force (photo below)	Dayton	OH
C-124C	52-1072	Charleston AFB Airpark	Charleston	SC
C-124C	53-0050	Hill Aerospace Museum   (photo below)	Ogden	UT

C-124 Photographs

Douglas C-124C Globemaster II S/N 52-1004 at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson (Staff Photo)

Douglas C-124C Globemaster II S/N 53-0050 at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Ogden, Utah (Staff Photo)

Douglas C-124C Globemaster II S/N 53-0050, Hill Air Force Base, Utah (Staff Photo)

Douglas C-124C Globemaster II S/N 53-0050 at the Hill Aerospace Museum (Staff Photo)

 

 

C-124C Globemaster II, S/N 51-089, Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia (Staff Photo)

C-124C Globemaster, S/N 52-1066, painted as 51-0135, at the Museum of the United States Air Force (Staff Photo)

Historic Images of the C-124 Globemaster II from the Airplanes Online Collection

U.S. Air Force C-124 Globemaster

U.S. Air Force C-124 Globemaster, at Terceira Island, Azores, circa 1960