DOUGLAS C-124C GLOBEMASTER II

The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II was an American heavy transport aircraft from the post-war period. The aircraft was built in the high-wing configuration, with a metal structure and a three-support retractable landing gear. The flight of the prototype took place in 1949, and serial production was carried out in 1949-1955. Approximately 450 examples of these planes were created in its course. The drive was provided by four Pratt and Whitney R-4360 engines in serial copies with 4,300 hp each . The machine did not have a permanent on-board armament. The main reason for the creation of the C-124 was the First Berlin Crisis of 1948-1949, when the US government decided to organize an airlift to the Soviet-blocked West Berlin. Hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo were transported by planes dating back to World War II, mainly C-54 and C-47. The experience gained from this amazing project, and especially the realization of the need to have a powerful transport aircraft with an almost global range, led to the creation of the C-124. The Globemaster II is based on the Douglas C-74 aircraft. However, it had slightly different engines, a significantly changed shape of the fuselage and a different design of the wings. It was also characterized by a significantly greater range of flight. Douglas C-124 Globemaster II aircraft turned out to be successful designs and were used on a fairly large scale in the Korean (1950-1953) and Vietnam (1964 / 1965-1975) wars. They were withdrawn from service in the mid-1970s.