A C-133 Cargomaster: Last Flight But Not The End Of The Line
Monday, January 17, 2011 at 08:00PM 
One of the 50 Douglas C-133 Cargomasters built between 1956 and 1961
The Douglas C-133 Cargomaster was the heavy airlifter thru the early 60's for the USAF. While it seems many people don't know it even existed, and a large number of people would simply think it was a C-130, the C-133 was a pretty important aircraft in its day. It was also significantly larger than the C-130. Compare the C-130 max takeoff weight of 155,000 pounds with the 286,000 pounds of the C-133. Even more important, compare the C-130's 45,000 pound payload to the C-133's 110,000 pounds. The C-133 was big, fast (325 mph cruise, almost 100mph faster than the C-124 Globemaster II) and was the first of the heavy lifters to offer the low deck height and easy rear loading.
The airplanes worked very hard thru the 60's, but with C-141's coming into service in 1965, and then the C-5 in 1970, the Cargomasters were pretty much ready to give up. Unlike the C-130 that found a niche that it could easily adapt to over the years, the advent of the really big jet airlifter sent the C-133 to a relatively early retirement in 1971. But many people who knew the C-133 have a soft spot in their heart for this workhorse that was powered by 4 Pratt & Whitney T34 turboprops cranking out 7,500 shp each.
The video below is of C-133 serial number 56-1999 and its last flight which was actually made fairly recently in August 2008. It's a great HD video that works well in full screen mode. There's no narration, but somehow that actually makes it very cool. It gives a really nice, quick look at elements of the flight from Alaska, where the airplane had continued to work occasionally thru as recently as 2006, on down to Travis Air Force Base northeast of San Francisco where it's being refurbished for display in the Travis Air Museum. Unfortunately, since 9-11, base access has been handled at Travis in such a way that the museum hasn't been open for unlimited public access. It's located right on the base, so they've limited access to a number of people that can be escorted. However, a plan is in the works to move the museum to a larger all new facility nearby that will solve the security issues. That'll make getting to see this Cargomaster and the rather extensive collection of aircraft in the museum easy... like it used to be when the museum attracted 60,000 people each year.
I hope you'll take a few minutes and watch the video, it's a little different than you see everyday... and it's an airplane from a whole different era. I found it to be a really interesting experience. You can also see some nice pix and explanation about this final flight here.
Last Flight of the C-133 Cargomaster from INVERSION on Vimeo.
Reader Comments (10)
Martt... We had a C-133 sitting on the ramp at Tucson International (KTUS) for several years in one spot. It is now gone. Truly a huge and unique airplane.
a.j.
a.j.- I wonder where it wound up.
I was in the Army with the 1st Infantry at Fort Reilly back in the 1960s, before the deployment of major forces to Vietnam, when the 1st Infantry took part in a major exercise which was a simulation of moving an entire division over a long distance. It was a sort of practice for deploying to Vietnam, we would later find out.
Units of the 1st Infantry drove in convoy from Junction City, Kansas, down to Schilling AFB in Salina, Kansas, where we drove our vehicles onto aircraft. My deuce-and-a-half ended up on a C130.
We flew to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, drove our vehicles across the base to another airfield, then drove onto a C133. We took off from Fort Campbell and headed for Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Luckily, on both legs of our flight, since there were only two drivers, we got to sit on a bench bhind the Flight Engineer, avoiding having to sit in the noise of the cargo bay.
When we landed at Fort Leonard Wood, my vehicle ended up being assigned to a location near the airstrip which had been constructed by the Air Force for the exercise in the boondocks of Fort Leonard Wood.
Night and day, for the duration of the exercise, there was a continuing stream of C130s and C133s bringing in all the supplies used by the 1st Infantry during the exercise. That temporary airfield was something to behold. There was a huge cloud of dust as those workhorse aircraft took off or landed. Every time we heard a plane revving up for takeoff, we had to go outside and watch.
The C133s are long since gone, but I'll never forget my one ride. It's good to see that those Hercules are still doing the job after all this time.
Joe Curtin
formerly of the 701st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Ft. Riley, KS
Holland, Massachusetts
Joseph Curtin- Thank you for sharing you interesting C-133 experience... and of course for your service to the United States. I was only 10 years old when the C-133 was retired in 1971, and for whatever reason I didn't have very much exposure to the aircraft (even tho I knew a lot about military, civilian and commercial aircraft at the time)
The video posted here was a real treat for me in that it gave me a chance to better develop respect for this important aircraft from the past.
It was the best of times and the worst of times, the many thousand hours I spent in
the cockpit of this great bird.
Paul
Dover AFB
i remember these C 133's. when in the Air Force I loged almost 1600 flying hours on this plane. Traveling world wide, from South East Asia to points East. It is haard to belive that the aircraft that I worked and flew on are to be retired. It was almost last week that I was prepairing to go on a mission.
I load many c-133 at Dover AFB and Rheinmain AB in Germany. It was an big callenge to work on that aircraft and enjoy doing it
Worked an Air Force radar site in remote Alaska from 84 to 94 an this aircraft N199AB
flew in when we needed a dozer an I got to load a AC HD21 on her as we had two new Cat D7
looked like Carlson had two on the ramp in Anchorage an I understood one was for parts.
11 pallet positions an crew chief said at one time the C133 could haul more that a C5 Gallexy because of a main spar AD.
Just wish I would have taken more pictures.
See my website documenting the C133's final flight.
https://sites.google.com/site/boeing377/c133
Hope you like it.
Mark
1966/67 operated a special analyzer for engine/prop data on all post PE test flights at Travis. Only person in the Prop Shop on flying status for these tests. Remember the two test pilots that flew most of these flights, Major Reese and Capt. Wright. Always enjoyed our "jaunts" around Northern California