The Double Bubble Cargo Bomber - C-97 Stratofreighter

The C-97 Stratofreighter was a heavy military cargo made out of former bomber designs such as the Boeing B-50 and B-29 Superfortresses. The iconic, state-of-the-art B29 was the only aircraft that used nuclear weapons during combat and was also responsible for dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was such a successful aircraft that Boeing decided to develop more versions out of its base design. One of them was the C-97 Stratofreighter, which had a unique look with a larger-diameter fuselage upper lobe and a smaller one in the lower lobe, making for a "double-bubble" section. The C-97 was first flown in 1945 and soon proved to be a highly successful aircraft. And even though only 77 models were rolled out, a whopping 811 of its KC-97 tanker variant eventually became the backbone of the Strategic Air Command's early Cold War missions... --- Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between. As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.