Aero Spacelines, Inc.
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Aero Spacelines, Inc. was an aircraft manufacturer that made a name for itself by converting Boeing B-377 Stratocruisers into the famous Guppy line of aircraft.
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Company history
Aero Spacelines was formed with only one customer in mind. NASA was having difficulty transporting Saturn V rocket boosters from California to Florida. They were too large to be shipped by rail, and shipping by sea was time-consuming and expensive, not to mention damaging to the boosters. The only other viable means of transporting them was by air, but due to their immense diameter no existing aircraft was capable of accomplishing the task.
Lee Mansdorf, an aircraft salesman and entrepreneur, came up with the idea for what was to become the Pregnant Guppy over dinner.
[More company history needed here]
Aero Spacelines was taken over by Unexcelled Corporation in 1967, which later changed hands and went out of business.
Aircraft
Aero Spacelines produced eight Guppy aircraft while it was in business.
Pregnant Guppy
The Pregnant Guppy was the first aircraft built by Aero Spacelines, wholly designed to ferry rocket boosters for the Apollo program. Tragically, the Pregnant Guppy is no more, having been scrapped in 1979.
Super Guppy
The Super Guppy was an improved version of the Pregnant Guppy, with
greater cargo capacity and range. It was produced in two variations, the
Super Guppy and the Super Guppy Turbine. In all five Super Guppies were
produced: one Super Guppy, and four Super Guppy Turbines.
Mini Guppy
The Mini Guppy was a smaller version of the Super Guppy, produced in two
variations: the Mini Guppy, and the Mini Guppy Turbine. One of each was
built. Of the two, only the Mini Guppy remains, mothballed at the Tillamook Air Museum (http://www.tillamookair.com/) in Tillamook, Oregon. The Mini Guppy Turbine was lost in an accident during
testing, which tragically killed the entire flight crew.
Aero Spacelines' legacy
While Aero Spacelines is no longer in business, the effect they had on the aircraft industry can still be felt today.
Aero Spacelines proved that outsize cargo aircraft were a viable and economical alternative to other methods of transporting outsize cargo. Other aircraft companies have been inspired to follow suit. Airbus Industrie, which previously used four Super Guppies to ferry aircraft parts, created a wide-bodied cargo aircraft based on the A300, the A300-600ST Airbus Beluga. On October 13, 2003, Boeing announced (http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2003/q4/nr_031013g.html) that parts for the new 7E7 would be ferried by air. The press release also stated that the parts would be ferried in "at least three modified 747-400s", and displayed photos of a concept cargo 747-400 with a greatly expanded fuselage.
And, as is fitting, one Super Guppy is still in active service with NASA.
Related topics
- Pregnant Guppy, the original Guppy.
- Super Guppy, an improved Guppy.
- Mini Guppy, smaller version of the Guppy.
External links
- Page about Airbus Industrie's Beluga (http://www.airbus.com/media/a300_600st.asp)
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