Description

The C-124 served the United States Air Force for 25 years, delivering cargo and passengers to destinations on all seven continents. Affectionately known as the “Globie” by enthusiasts, the design was the answer to the United States Army’s requirement for an outsized airlifter capable of intercontinental range with a brief to move essential equipment. Additionally, the C-124 ferried nuclear weapons worldwide, crewed by specialist personnel. It also responded to urgent humanitarian requests and performed daily routine airlift schedules.

Habitually flying sorties in which malfunctions to the Wasp Major engines developed, the unpressurized C-124 cruised at lower altitudes, creating greater flying risk and therefore leaving little room for pilot error.

Skill by experienced aircrew usually resulted in a safe landing, where expertise and familiarity by technicians frequently restored the aircraft to flying condition. The C-124 filled the gap between the aircraft designs of World War Two and the jet age of the 1960s, and paved the way for procedures still in place today.

The C-124 finally retired in 1974, but it left a legacy that has endured six decades later.