Here's something you don't see every day...

Indy · Post by **Indy** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 7:51 pm

The Boeing SGT (Super Guppy Turbine) landing at the airport here in Amarillo...

Super Guppy on Final at Amarillo by Sonic Aeronautic, on Flickr

Super Guppy at Amarillo Taxiing In by Sonic Aeronautic, on Flickr

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:44 pm

wth:?

How do they see?

Indy · Post by **Indy** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:02 pm

The Super Guppy by Sonic Aeronautic, on Flickr

It's a modified C-97 cargo plane. The 'nose' is essentially where the cockpit is located. You can see it a little better with this picture

When my wife and I were watching it landing tonight, it had a funky approach...reminded me a bit of the B-52 bomber when it lands...they fly all the way to the runway nose down, as opposed to how most other aircraft land - nose flared up. It was very disorienting to see, still pretty interesting tho

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:22 am

Wow...that's a lucky sighting. Not many of those...I don't recall ever seeing one of those flying, although I probably saw one at an airshow as a kid.

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:59 am

I’m sure the size is needed for cargo but that is one ugly airplane.

cybotron r_9 · Post by **cybotron r_9** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:14 pm

Indy, nice pics, cool looking plane...."Super Guppy"

good name for it too.

Indy · Post by **Indy** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:26 pm

YeOldeStonecat wrote:Wow...that's a lucky sighting. Not many of those...I don't recall ever seeing one of those flying, although I probably saw one at an airshow as a kid.

This one is the only one left flying out of the five that were produced...the other four are mothballed, although one is in a restoration project right now. It's based on the Boeing 377/C-97 aircraft:

cybotron r_9 wrote:Indy, nice pics, cool looking plane...."Super Guppy" good name for it too.

Believe it or not, it's the successor to the "Pregnant Guppy."

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 12:25 am

Thanks for the explanation, looked like they were flying by radar only or something.

Great shots Indy

Indy · Post by **Indy** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:56 pm

YeOldeStonecat wrote:Wow...that's a lucky sighting. Not many of those...I don't recall ever seeing one of those flying, although I probably saw one at an airshow as a kid.

We get the guppy in here on a fairly regular basis now...they are delivering V-22 fuselages to us from Philadelphia...I'll have to see if I can dig up the photos I've got from a few years ago when we were offloading a V-22 off the guppy...