On August 31, 1965, NASA's Super Guppy cargo plane took its first test flight.
This oversized aircraft looks a bit like a giant flying whale. It was built by a company called Aero Spacelines and based on the Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser. NASA uses these funny-looking planes to transport large cargo, like spacecraft parts and other smaller aircraft. At the time, they needed the planes to transport Apollo rocket stages from California to Florida. The Super Guppy has a huge cargo compartment that measures 25 feet tall, 25 feet wide and 111 feet long (7.6 x 7.6 x 33.8 meters). It can carry payloads weighing more than 26 tons. To load cargo into the plane, its entire nose hinges wide open so the oversize load can slide right in. The original Super Guppy retired in 1991 and is currently on display at Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Arizona. NASA still flies newer models of the Super Guppy.
This oversized aircraft looks a bit like a giant flying whale. It was built by a company called Aero Spacelines and based on the Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser. NASA uses these funny-looking planes to transport large cargo, like spacecraft parts and other smaller aircraft. At the time, they needed the planes to transport Apollo rocket stages from California to Florida. The Super Guppy has a huge cargo compartment that measures 25 feet tall, 25 feet wide and 111 feet long (7.6 x 7.6 x 33.8 meters). It can carry payloads weighing more than 26 tons. To load cargo into the plane, its entire nose hinges wide open so the oversize load can slide right in. The original Super Guppy retired in 1991 and is currently on display at Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Arizona. NASA still flies newer models of the Super Guppy.
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:00On this day in space.
00:03In 1965, NASA's Super Guppy cargo plane took its first test flight.
00:08This oversized aircraft looks a bit like a giant flying whale.
00:12It was built by a company called Aero Space Lines and based on the Boeing B377 Strato Cruiser.
00:18NASA uses these funny looking planes to transport large cargo like spacecraft parts and other smaller aircraft.
00:24At the time, they needed the planes to transport Apollo rocket stages from California to Florida.
00:29The Super Guppy has a huge cargo compartment that measures 25 feet tall, 25 feet wide, and 111 feet long.
00:36It can carry payloads weighing more than 26 tons.
00:39To load cargo into the plane, its entire nose hinges wide open so the oversized load can slide right in.
00:45The original Super Guppy retired in 1991 and is currently on display at Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
00:52NASA still flies newer models of the Super Guppy.
00:55And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:58Music.