View source for Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy

{{short description|Outsize cargo conversion of the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser}}
{{Infobox aircraft
  |name = Pregnant Guppy
  |image = Pregnant Guppy NASA.jpg
  |caption = The Pregnant Guppy at the [[Dryden Flight Research Center]] for testing and evaluation (October 1962)
  |type = [[Outsize cargo]] [[freight aircraft]]
  |manufacturer = [[Aero Spacelines]]
  |designer = 
  |first_flight = September 19, 1962<ref name="Janes">Taylor, Michael J.H. . “ Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989. {{ISBN|0-517-69186-8}}</ref>
  |introduction =
  |produced = 1
  |retired = 1979
  |status = Scrapped at [[Van Nuys]] in 1979
  |primary_user = [[Aero Spacelines]]
  |more_users = [[NASA]]
  |number_built = 
  |unit cost =
  |developed_from = [[Boeing 377 Stratocruiser]]
  |variants =  
  |developed_into = [[Aero Spacelines Super Guppy]]
}}

The '''Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy''' was a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft built in the United States and used for ferrying [[outsize cargo|outsized cargo]] items, most notably components of [[NASA]]'s [[Apollo program]].<ref name="Janes"/> The Pregnant Guppy was the first of the Guppy line of aircraft produced by [[Aero Spacelines]].<ref name="Janes"/> The design inspired later designs, such as the [[Jet engine|jet-powered]] [[Airbus Beluga]] and [[Boeing Dreamlifter]].

==Development==

In 1960, NASA was using [[barge]]s to transport increasingly large rocket components from manufacturers on the West Coast to test and launch sites on the East Coast, a method that was slow and expensive. Meanwhile, U.S. airlines were disposing of their obsolete [[Piston engine|piston-engined]] [[Boeing 377 Stratocruiser]]s in favor of the newer jet-engined airliners. Aircraft broker Leo Mansdorf was stockpiling surplus Stratocruisers at [[Van Nuys Airport|Van Nuys]] for resale.

Ex-[[United States Air Force|USAF]] pilot [[John M. Conroy]] realized that these aircraft could be modified to transport the large but relatively light rocket components.<ref name="Janes" /> Conroy presented his plans for an extensively modified Stratocruiser to NASA, where an official commented that the bloated aircraft resembled a pregnant [[guppy]]. Although NASA was lukewarm on the concept, Conroy [[Mortgage loan|mortgaged]] his house and founded [[Aero Spacelines|Aero Spacelines International]]  to build and operate the concept aircraft.<ref name="Janes"/>

Conversion work was undertaken by [[On Mark Engineering]]. The Pregnant Guppy (registered N1024V)<ref>{{Citation|title=B-377 PREGNANT GUPPY AIRPLANE|date=1965-09-15|url=https://archive.org/download/C-1965-2532/1965_02532.jpg|publisher=NASA/Glenn Research Center|access-date=2020-02-21}}</ref> used an ex-[[Pan Am]] airframe. A 5-meter section from an ex-[[British Overseas Airways Corporation]] aircraft (G-AKGJ) was added immediately behind the wing. A new upper fuselage of 6-meter diameter was added, giving the aircraft a "triple-bubble" appearance when viewed from the front. The entire rear section, including tail surfaces, was detachable to allow cargo to be loaded directly into the fuselage. The wing, engines, tail, nose, and cockpit were unchanged.

The aircraft first flew on September 19, 1962, piloted by Conroy and co-pilot [[Clay Lacy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allaboutguppys.com/ |title = All About Guppys}}</ref> When Van Nuys traffic control realized that Conroy intended to take off, they notified police and fire departments to be on alert. However, the huge aircraft performed flawlessly. It differed in handling from a Stratocruiser only in a slight decrease in speed caused by the drag of the larger fuselage.

The Guppy delivered the [[S-IV]] [[Saturn I|Saturn I rocket]] stage three weeks faster than a barge,<ref name="Bilstein">{{cite book |last =  Bilstein |first = Roger E. |title = Stages to Saturn: A Technological History of the Apollo/Saturn Launch Vehicles |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA History Office |series = The NASA History Series |year = 1996 |id = SP-4206 |url = https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4206/sp4206.htm |access-date = 2010-05-03 |pages = 313–319 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041015005320/https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4206/sp4206.htm|archive-date=2004-10-15}}</ref> for a cost of $16.00 (equivalent to ${{inflation|US|16|1964|r=2|fmt=c}} today) per mile ({{convert|1|mi|disp=out|}}).<ref name="Bilstein_Table">{{cite web
|url= https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4206/p319b.htm 
|access-date= 2014-01-20
|title= Saturn Transportation Equipment
|work= Stages to Saturn
|publisher= NASA
}}</ref>

==Operational history==
[[File:SaturnSIV.jpg|thumb|right|The Pregnant Guppy, with its tail removed, is loaded with a [[S-IV]] stage (1965)]]
In the summer of 1963, the Pregnant Guppy began flying NASA cargo. Among its early duties was transporting the first and second stages of the Gemini program's [[Titan II GLV|Titan II]] from the Martin Co. in Baltimore, Maryland, to [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]]. As the space program grew through the late 1960s, it became apparent that the one original aircraft clearly could not handle the whole transport load, so 25 more Stratocruisers and ex-USAF C-97s were purchased to construct four [[Aero Spacelines Super Guppy|Super Guppy]] aircraft, which were even longer and larger than the original.

The various Guppy aircraft served throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond. After the Apollo program ended, the aircraft transported airliner sections.<ref name="Janes"/> The original Pregnant Guppy, though, was in poor condition by this point and retired soon after the end of the Apollo program.

The Pregnant Guppy was sold to American Jet Industries in 1974 and registered N126AJ. Although plans were floated to renovate the transport and return it to service, in the end it was scrapped at [[Van Nuys Airport]] in 1979. The rear fuselage and tail assembly, along with various other parts, were used to build the final [[Aero Spacelines Super Guppy#Variants|Super Guppy Turbine]]. Registered N941NA, this aircraft is currently in service with NASA and is the last Guppy aircraft still in operation.<ref>{{cite book |title=Ultra=Large Aircraft, 1940-1970: The Development of Guppy and Expanded Fuselage Transports|last=Dean |first=William Patrick |year=2018 |pages=186–187 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I5hUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA186}}</ref>

==Specifications (B377PG Pregnant Guppy)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''Jane's All The Worlds Aircraft 1965–66'',<ref name=JAWA65-66>{{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1965–66 |editor1-last=Taylor |editor1-first=John W. R. |year=1965 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd. |location=London }}</ref> ''Jane's All The Worlds Aircraft 1971–72''<ref name=JAWA71-72>{{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1971–72 |year=1971 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Company |location=London |isbn=9780354000949 |editor1-last=Taylor |editor1-first=John W. R. |edition=62nd |page=218}}</ref>
|prime units?=kts
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=3
|capacity={{cvt|34000|lb|0}} <big>+</big>
|length ft=127
|length in=0
|length note=
|span ft=141
|span in=3
|span note=
|height ft=31
|height in=3
|height note=to top of fuselage; {{cvt|38|ft|3|in|0}} overall
|wing area sqft=1769
|wing area note={{citation needed|date=January 2020}}
*'''Cargo compartment : volume:''' {{cvt|29187|cuft|0}}
*'''Cargo compartment : total length:''' {{cvt|80|ft|0}}
*'''Cargo compartment : constant-section length:''' {{cvt|30|ft|0}}
*'''Cargo compartment : max height:''' {{cvt|19|ft|9|in|0}}
*'''Cargo compartment : max width:''' {{cvt|19|ft|9|in|0}}
*'''Cargo compartment : max width:''' {{cvt|8|ft|7|in|0}}
|dia ft=20
|dia in=4
|dia note=cabin height
|volume ft3=
|volume note=cabin volume
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil='''root:''' Boeing 117 (22%); '''tip:''' Boeing 117 (9%)<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=91000
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=133000
|max takeoff weight note=(later increased)
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=4
|eng1 name=[[Pratt & Whitney R-4360-B6 Wasp Major]]
|eng1 type=28-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines
|eng1 hp=3500
|eng1 note=

|eng2 number=4
|eng2 name=[[Aerojet-General 15KS-1000-A1]]
|eng2 type=solid-fuel assisted take-off rocket engines 
|eng2 lbf=1000
|eng2 note=for 15 seconds

|prop blade number=4
|prop name=[[Hamilton-Standard]] Model 34E60-387 constant-speed fully-feathering propellers
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kts=320
|max speed note={{citation needed|date=January 2020}}
|cruise speed kts=195
|cruise speed note=normal operating speed
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kts=
|minimum control speed note=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=

|more performance=<!--<br />
*'''Take-off run:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
*'''Take-off distance to {{cvt|50|ft|0}}:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
*'''Landing run:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
*'''Landing distance from {{cvt|50|ft|0}}:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}-->
|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
*[[Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy]]
*[[Aero Spacelines Super Guppy]]
*[[Boeing 377 Stratocruiser]]
*[[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]]
|see also=
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Works cited==
*{{cite magazine|last=Taylor|first=H. A. "Tony"|title=Stratocruiser... Ending an Airline Era |magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]] |date=April–July 1982|issue=18 |pages=37–53 |issn=0143-5450}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120606024948/http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/m377.html "Model 377 Stratocruiser Commercial Transport"] by Boeing. Retrieved October 5, 2006.
* [http://www.allaboutguppys.com "All About Guppys"], by Daren Savage. Updated September 17, 2006. Retrieved October 5, 2006.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140810215019/http://www.tropicbirdpublishing.com/images/guppy1-6rev.pdf ''It's a Plane: One man's obsession, it helped get us to the moon''] Tripp, Robert S. Spring 2002, American Heritage of Invention and Technology
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060513205814/http://www.kensaviation.com/B377-PG.htm "Boeing 377 Pregnant Guppy"] by Kenneth W. Shanaberger. Updated August 31, 2004. Retrieved October 5, 2006.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140607003305/http://pilotmag.com/guppy "The Plane That Won The Space Race"] by Margy Bloom. Retrieved May/June 2010.
* [http://fly.historicwings.com/2012/09/the-pregnant-guppy/ "The Pregnant Guppy"] Historic Wings: Daily Stories. Retrieved September 19, 2012

{{Aero Spacelines aircraft}}
{{B-29 family}}
{{Outsized cargo aircraft}}

[[Category:Aero Spacelines aircraft|Pregnant Guppy]]
[[Category:On Mark aircraft]]
[[Category:1960s United States cargo aircraft]]
[[Category:Four-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1962]]
[[Category:Four-engined piston aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft related to spaceflight]]