Previously Held AFSC/MOS 0006- Pilot Trainee (UPT)
4341-Aircraft Maintenance Officer
4344-Aircraft Maintenance Officer
4016-Aircraft Maintenance Staff Officer
2911-System Program Staff Officer
Service Years
1961 - 1984
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Other Comments:
Author of sixteen non-fiction books about American motorcycling history. Inductee of three different motorcycling halls of fame.
1969-1973, VC-118 Independence
From Year 1969
To Year 1973
Personal Memories
Howard AFB, Canal Zone
Image
VC-118 Independence Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
The VC-118 was a military variation of the Douglas DC-6 commercial airliner. In 1947 USAAF officials ordered the 29th production DC-6 to be modified as a replacement for the aging VC-54C Sacred Cow presidential aircraft. It differs from the standard DC-6 configuration in that the aft fuselage was converted into a stateroom; the main cabin seated 24 passengers or could be made up into 12 ?sleeper? berths. The VC-118 was formally commissioned into the AAF on July 4, 1947, and was nicknamed Independence for the President Harry Truman?s hometown in Missouri. Probably the plane?s most historic flight occurred when it carried President Truman to Wake Island in October 1950 to discuss the Korean situation with Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
SPECIFICATIONS: Span: 117 ft. 6 in. Length: 100 ft. 7 in. Height: 28 ft. 5 in. Weight: 93,200 lbs. maximum Armament: None Engines: Four Pratt & Whitney R-2800s of 2,400 hp each (with water injection) Cost: $1,180,000 Serial number: 46-505
PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: 360 mph Cruising speed: 320 mph Range: 4,400 miles Service ceiling: 31,200 ft.
