Tillamook Air Museum's MiniGuppy to fly to Madras...

[Warbirdnerd]

The Mini Guppy, which turns 47 this month, has seen better days. Years of exposure to salty coastal conditions at the Tillamook Air Museum have corroded its wings and engines. The snub-nosed plane, built to carry outsize cargo, hasn’t flown since 1997. But facing a funding shortfall, the museum plans to transfer its collection of vintage craft to Madras, where the dry climate is friendlier to old planes. If the Mini Guppy is to survive, then it must fly again. If it can’t make the trip, the museum could scrap it.

Aero Spacelines built five Guppies during the 1960s to haul NASA’s giant rockets, among other things. The Mini clocks in at 85,000 pounds—not including its max 32,000-pound payload—but uses engines designed for a much lighter plane.

“There were a lot of naysayers at the time,” says Christian Gurling, Tillamook Air Museum’s curator. Nonetheless, on May 24, 1967, the ungainly vessel took flight. For the next 30 years it crisscrossed the world (top speed: 240 mph, half that of a 747), delivering school buses and gunships. In 1969 it rushed new Boeing 707 parts to Palestinian hijackers stranded (with hostages) in Damascus, Syria. In 1972 it carried NASA’s Pioneer 10 spacecraft to Cape Canaveral. That same year, it ferried the Goodyear blimp Europa from Akron, Ohio, to England. At one point, someone wanted to use it to import giraffes from Africa. The bulbous plane landed in Oregon in 1988, when Erickson Aircrane bought it to deliver helicopters to loggers around the Pacific Northwest.

“People always ask, ‘What is that ugly airplane?’” says Gurling. “It’s not ugly; it’s uniquely bizarre.” He is optimistic that this odd but storied plane will achieve liftoff. For its Madras escape, the Mini Guppy will cannibalize another plane to replace corroded parts. We say: do whatever it takes.

Found it here:
http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/news- ... y-may-2014

[robkamm]

I hope shes made flyable. very cool planes with great history. they don't get the glory of the warbirds but how can you not smile when you see one.

[Left Seat]

I remember when Erickson bought and flew the MiniGuppy to Medford in 1988 or 89. It was used to deliver the Erickson S-64 Skycranes to various places around the world until around 1995. That MiniGuppy was the last remaining Guppy that was piston powered.

They bought and flew this KC-97 into Medford to be used as a parts plane. I remember watching the mechanics crawl through the wings on a (really) hot summer's day to scavenge parts to keep the Guppy flying. They also swapped out the radials for spares. The KC-97 sat derelict for several years until it was cleaned up and repainted. You can take tours of the interior now. You can rent it out for special occasions like birthday parties. I think it has even be host to a few sleep overs with the Boy Scouts.

https://www.co.jackson.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=1173

Erickson has subcontracted Antonov to deliver the Skycrane on a few occasions. I suppose that it may have been more economical or at least quicker to use an Antonov than the MiniGupy. Then again, the MiniGuppy may have been mechanically down and the Anotov may have a quick and dirty solution.

It's shame about the corrosion... anything northwest of Roseburg is Pacific Northwest damp. Not a good place to keep a Fiat or an airplane collection for that matter. Madras is in the high desert and for the most part dry. From a preservation standpoint it is smart business. From a foot traffic standpoint, it is a little off the beaten path, but is 30 miles north of Bend and Sun River.

I suppose the KC-97 could be a source of parts again.

You have to admit, the blimp hanger is just plain cool. I hope Tillamook can secure a grant to repair the roof of the blimp hanger and get a new aircraft industry related tenant. Anyone know of a blimp manufacturer that wants to relocate?

On a side note, Erickson was practicing "touch and gags" with one of their new Skycranes at the Medford airport the other day. Its always a pleasant surprise to see one of those things pop up (literally) in the rear view mirror as your are pulling out of the parking lot at Costco.

[Tiger Tim]

Maybe they can take it apart and stuff it in a slightly larger Guppy...

-Tim

[Larry Kraus]

I asked about this at Madras a couple of days ago.The major problem with ferrying the Mini Guppy is that the wing spars are heavily corroded.Incidentally,the salt air environment in Tillamook was one of the deciding factors in moving the museum to Madras.

There's some thought going into taking a set of KC-97 wings and using them to replace the current wings,but that's a pretty iffy proposition and not high on the current priority list,but they haven't given up on the Guppy,yet.

One other issue,assuming the airplane is someday restored to a condition allowing a ferry flight is that the runway at Madras is 75 feet wide.That fact certainly assures that a pilot landing a DC-7 or MD-87 in Madras won't be daydreaming on short final.The DC-7 main gear is 27 feet between the outboard main tires.I was told that the Guppy spreads 50 feet.Not a lot of margin for error.

[Dan K]

One other issue,assuming the airplane is someday restored to a condition allowing a ferry flight is that the runway at Madras is 75 feet wide.That fact certainly assures that a pilot landing a DC-7 or MD-87 in Madras won't be daydreaming on short final.The DC-7 main gear is 27 feet between the outboard main tires.I was told that the Guppy spreads 50 feet.Not a lot of margin for error.

And yet...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS_ogd5MRmo

An oldie, but a goodie.