This Is The Plane That Was Replaced By The C-5 Galaxy

This Is The Plane That Was Replaced By The C-5 Galaxy | World War Wings Videos

USAF Museum

Big Girl.

We all know of the C-5 Galaxy. A massive transport plane which can be stuffed with tanks, helicopters and other planes, it is the biggest military transport aircraft in the arsenal of the United States. But have you ever wondered what the military used before that? 

Well, here’s the C-133 Cargomaster.

Built in 1956 by Douglas Aircraft Company, the C-133 was developed to meet the Air Force’s need for a strategic transport plane. Replacing the smaller Globemaster and Globemaster IIs, this plane could haul up to 110,000 lbs. of equipment in its cargo-hold. It differed from previous transports as well, because it had a ramp in the back of the plane as opposed to just side doors. This allowed it to transport bigger objects than its predecessors ever could.

The plane’s service, however, was short. It was retired in 1971 when the much larger and faster C-5 Galaxy was introduced. They were not kept around either, as they earned the nickname “widowmaker” because 9 out of the 50 C-133s built crashed. They were known to stall and also had a weak structure which was prone to breaking. For this reason, pilots and crews welcomed the C-5 with open arms.

Here’s a quick video of how the plane was introduced to the public.

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