@ Lancaster, CA
May 2006
A long retired Boeing KC-97 seen at the now-defunct Milestones of Flight Air Museum in Lancaster, CA. At one point in 2004, plans were in place to make this aircraft ready for a ferry flight to a new museum. That never happened and this aircraft remains here at Fox Field. Introduced in 1951, the KC-97 strategic tanker aircraft was based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. The dual diameter fuselage allowed for cargo transport in the upper deck while jet fuel tanks occupied the space underneath. Structural elements of the fuselage, including the wing and tail, were common with the B-29. The USAF purchased a total of 811 KC-97s from Boeing, compared to only 74 of the C-97 cargo version. Panasonic FZ30 photo.