C-27 “Airbus” and “Aircruiser”

November 21, 2013 by John M. Guilfoil

Bellanca C-27C "Airbus" — Bellanca C-27C “Airbus”

Before the company, there was the C-27 “Airbus.”

Known as the P-100, P-200, and P-300 “Airbus” and upgraded to six variants of the “Bellanca Aircruiser” in the civilian world, the Bellanca C-27 was a limited production, high-wing workhorse designed with packages that could carry people or cargo and land on land, water, or snow.

The plane came out of a Golden Age of Flight desire to have a plane that could fly non-stop from New York to Rome. Designer Giuseppe Bellanca came up with a plane called the Model K, which never flew. But the distinctive design survived.

Curtiss-Wright R-1820 Cyclone Radial Engine -- a 9-cylinder, supercharged, air-cooled radial engine. A variant of this engine powered the C-27C and the B-17 "Flying Fortress) — Curtiss-Wright R-1820 Cyclone Radial Engine — a 9-cylinder, supercharged, air-cooled radial engine. A variant of this engine powered the C-27C and the B-17 “Flying Fortress)

The United States Army Air Corps used three variants of the C-27. The most popular was the “C” variant, with four built and nine C-27As re-engined with the powerful 750 hp Wright R-1820-25 air-cooled engine.

The plane was extremely efficient. The original P-100 could fly at a cost of around 8 cents per mile, in 1930 figures. It was also reliable and easily re-configurable, making it a popular “bush plane” for rough terrain and wilderness cargo and passenger hauls.

But the plane was doomed, from an American military or commercial standpoint, almost as soon as it came on the market. In 1934, U.S. federal regulations banned single-engined transports and passenger airliners. The plane gained a market in Canada, where it was used for carrying ore from and supplies to remote mines.

Only 23 planes were built, and only two are known to exist today. One famous civilian “Aircruiser,” known as the “Eldorado Radium Silver Express” crashed in Northern Ontario in 1947 after running out of fuel. The plane was beat up that its owner abandoned the plane to the elements. The Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg is working on a long-term restoration of the plane as of 2013. The museum posted, in 2011, a virtual cockpit tour of the plane.

Eldorado Radium Silver Express undergoing restoration in 2011 (Courtesy of the Western Canada Aviation Museum)

The only intact plane, a 1938 “Aircruiser” is at the Tillamook Air Museum in Oregon.

This beautiful “Flying W” quite nearly became the most famous plane in the world, when Charles Lindbergh and his team came within a hair of purchasing the “Aircruiser” to attempt the famous new York to Paris Flight. Charles Levine, the chairman of Columbia Aircraft Corporation which was the firm brokering for Bellanca, offended Lindbergh when Levine insisted on choosing his own crew to make the historic flight. Lindbergh refused and went on to purchase the “Spirit of St. Louis,” a custom build from Ryan Airline Company.

Lindbergh made the flight, and “Spirit of St. Louis” became world-famous. The “Aircruiser” does have the distinction of being the first plane to fly from New York to Berlin and the first place to cross the Pacific ocean.

Live footage of the C-27 was used in the historic early television cartoon “Clutch Cargo.”

This C-27 should not be confused with the modern Aeritalia G.222/C-27A and Alenia C-27J “Spartan.”

Specifications

General

Crew: one, pilot
Capacity: 16 passengers (with passenger configuration)
Length: 43 ft 4 in
Wingspan: 65 ft 0 in
Height: 11 ft 6 in
Empty weight: 6,072 lb
Engines: One Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 9-cylinder supercharged air-cooled radial engine, 710 hp

Performance

Maximum speed: 165 mph
Range: 700 miles
Ceiling: 22,000 ft

Armament

None.

Essential Reading

Amazon.com Widgets

Online Resources

Wikipedia — Good resource, listing of variants, few photos
Tillamook Air Museum
Western Canada Aviation Museum
bellanca-championclub.com — Great resource, history, links, photos, etc.

Photo Gallery

1938 Bellanca Aircruiser (Courtesy of the Tillamook Air Museum)

Eldorado Radium Silver Express (Courtesy of the Western Canada Aviation Museum)

C-5 “Galaxy”

August 12, 2012 by John M. Guilfoil

WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE — One of the largest airplanes in the world, the C-5 “Galaxy” enables American and allied forces to carry oversized cargo, while the strategic positioning of the planes means that cargo can be anywhere in the world on short notice.

The C-5 is no spring chicken. It has been flying since 1969, with upgrades coming many times over its lengthy lifespan. And like many air force projects, the “Galaxy” cost a lot more than intended.

The massive cargo plane has supported every major American war and crisis since Vietnam and it has supported allies like Israel and NATO states. It is also used to quickly distribute humanitarian aid to disaster zones.

It can put soldiers into combat, fully stocked. A single C-5 can carry 81 troops and 36 pallets of cargo at the same time. It can also carry specialized cargo like the 74-ton mobile “scissors” bridge or a variety of military vehicles and weapons.

The C-5 is easily identified by its four engines, slightly swept wings, fat cigar body going through to the nose, and high T-shaped tail.

The plane is powered by four General Electric TF-39-GE-1C turbofans that put out 43,000 pounds of thrust each. Its 12 fuel tanks carry more than 51,000 gallons of fuel, and the C-5 can ferry 270,000 pounds of cargo 2,150, unload, and fly 500 more miles to another base without refueling.

The C-5A deployed to Vietnam in 1970, where it was used to move equipment and troops. When the war started coming to an end, it was used to evacuate troops and civilians prior to the fall of Saigon. One of the C-5s, loaded with 243 Vietnamese orphans, crashed in April 1975, killing 144 adults and children, including 76 babies. The C-5 was heavily restricted during the investigation of the accident. It was eventually learned that the rear doors were fitted with improper locks, which failed, causing explosive decompression.

The raised nose on the G-5 "Galaxy" at the 2012 Great New England Air Show at Westover Air Reserve Base (Air Cache photo/John M. Guilfoil) — The raised nose on the G-5 “Galaxy” at the 2012 Great New England Air Show at Westover Air Reserve Base (Air Cache photo/John M. Guilfoil)

The C-5 played a role in developing the F-117, the world’s first stealth attack jet. It was large enough to carry the disassembled F-117, allowing it to move in secret.

There have been several variants of the C-5 produced, as advances in avionics and materials were applied. The C-5As have been either upgraded or retired at this stage in their lives. Most other variants, the C-5B and C-5C are also being upgraded. The C-5M “Super Galaxy” is the modern model, and it will likely be in service until 2040, marking 81 years of C-5 service. The “Super Galaxy” features a glass cockpit outfitted with flat panel displays instead of analog gauges as well as advanced GE CF6 engines that put out 50,000 pounds of thrust each. The result: 1/3 shorter takeoffs, nearly 40 percent higher rate of climb, and increased cargo loads.

There are a few other unique characteristics. Despite its bulk, the C-5 can land on runways that are only 6,000 feet long. The nose lifts up, allowing easy loading/unloading of cargo from both sides of the plane. The C-5 also has drive-on ramps for military vehicles.

Air Cache saw many C-5s parked and flying at Westover Air Reserve Base in Massachusetts during the 2012 Great New England Airshow. Westover is home to the 337th Airlift Squadron of the 439th Airlift Wing, which only flies C-5s.