Lived at Edwards AFB in 1970 (4th grade). We used to see it flying over school playground on way to runway. I recall being told at the time it was built to transport the Apollo 3rd stage to Cape Kennedy
Minor technicality: The wings don't fold on a T-38, but you could remove the wingtips (not easily) and get it under the 25 foot width of the super guppy. But...I'm with the Southwest guy on that. Pulling the wingtips is a lot of sheet metal time, when a major reason that NASA has T-38s is to maintain flying time for astronauts.
NASA doesn't remove the wingtips, though. Two T-38s are loaded onto a frame that rotates them 20 degrees, and that frame is loaded onto the Super Guppy
Friend of my dad used to work at Aero Spacelines. Also a dad of my friend flew in them when they transported Apollo space capsules. I was too young to appreciate this stuff at the time.
Airbus used the Guppy to transport the airplane pieces from one manufacturing plant to another for the final montage in Toulouse before they booked the even bigger Beluga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_BelugaXL
Couldn't they just have their pilots fly them to that location, and have the pilots take a commercial flight back? Seems like an awful expensive aircraft to fly. This bears looking into..
Well, do you know when EXACTLY your car turns to a paperweight? I assume maintenance for them is expensive. And if they find something that costs more to repair then its worth it, they get transfered. Same for your car. Car breaks, you bring it to the mechanic, they check it out, costs xxxxx moneyz. Would you pay thousands to just drive it to the scrapeyard? no, you call a transport who does it for a few hundred.
Maybe with better planning? I presume they needed repairs to become airworthy and that would be more expensive than using the super guppy. But yeah, seems like maybe they could have flown them to the scrap yard before they became un-airworthy.
ToasterDent
That's the plane they use to deliver balloons for parties. They don't weigh anything (lighter than air) but take up a lot of room.
Smellmyfinger365
Nice disguise, Roger
tiderfish
All that on one small hinge?
Frozenspokes
It occasionally stops at Pueblo Colorado. What they are shipping there, I have no idea.
whisker99
I saw this guy in Jurassic world Rebirth
eastend666
Style-wise, it's the diametric opposite of the Concord.
Harm
Up to the nose pivoting in the way. That's very astute thinking.
Egudahl
Lived at Edwards AFB in 1970 (4th grade). We used to see it flying over school playground on way to runway. I recall being told at the time it was built to transport the Apollo 3rd stage to Cape Kennedy
DryAgedPopsicle
Another exciting outsize transporter aircraft: The Airbus A330-743L BelugaXL
notsurewhattocallthis
The plane she tells you not to worry about.
EllisTomago
Imagine it was full of water and they opened it up and the water had guppies in it
NChomsky
"A sniper's dream."
Currahee63
Does not appreciate SouthWest radio banter
LinemanMatt
gablestout
HamDangler7TheLuckOfTheDangle
RaginCanadjun
"That boy's head is like sputnik, spherical but quite pointy at parts!"
RedCamaro
hydrocephalopathy.
Manse84
Minor technicality: The wings don't fold on a T-38, but you could remove the wingtips (not easily) and get it under the 25 foot width of the super guppy. But...I'm with the Southwest guy on that. Pulling the wingtips is a lot of sheet metal time, when a major reason that NASA has T-38s is to maintain flying time for astronauts.
gablestout
NASA doesn't remove the wingtips, though. Two T-38s are loaded onto a frame that rotates them 20 degrees, and that frame is loaded onto the Super Guppy
an0therthr0waway
fun fact: they have to check the wind and turn the plane accordingly before they can open the cargo 'door' so it won't be blown over.
Rengii
I assumed they'd just do that inside a hangar.
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
may not have one tall enough everywhere
IliveIdyeIliveagain
bobthefunny
Ow! My giant blue head!
rubypilgrim
My grandma says I'm handsome.
lonelyrangerofthedreams
M80inaSteelDrum
More like a beluga.
friendsofsandwiches
big brain jet
Hexarcy00
Where is the jet?
sirwolfyy
Inside, apparently
youreathing
Well well! Check out the big brain on Jet!
ababyzarmholdinganapple
Friend of my dad used to work at Aero Spacelines. Also a dad of my friend flew in them when they transported Apollo space capsules. I was too young to appreciate this stuff at the time.
chaylar
but what about friend of dad's friend?
ababyzarmholdinganapple
He was no friend of mine
ironymus
Airbus used the Guppy to transport the airplane pieces from one manufacturing plant to another for the final montage in Toulouse before they booked the even bigger Beluga
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_BelugaXL
ironymus
*built (stupid autocorrect)
realcheddarandsully
DemSumBigAssRidges
It's crazy to me that it's powered by prop engines.
TooSoonOldTooLateSmart
Too much drag to fly at jet speeds.
DemSumBigAssRidges
That makes sense. It's just bananas to look at.
sfbiker
I don't think I'd want to fly with an airline pilot that seems to be unaware of the existence of large cargo aircraft and what they might be used for.
Harm
Or how the parts forming the very jetliner he's piloting are ferried across the country to the assembly plant.
SpicyNips20
Looks like a giant Beluga whale
MonkeyWithDynamite
Kehy
Marine mammals have been a source of inspiration for aviation a few times
IamTOOOLDforThisShite
... if a beluga whale had, like, wings and propellers.
SpicyNips20
NumptyDumptyLump
She'd be a bicycle!
marthafarquar
BeKindToOthers
why fly two small planes when you can fly one big boy
PlankTableGo
It opens like a 1980's playset that also stores your figures.
gilliamv
Perfect description.
delecti
Damn, doesn't even look like the wings need to be folded up.
gablestout
Atomic2
"hey don't look but that person over there.... I said dont look!"
Nephytis
but..couldn't you just...fly them somewhere? Surely its more fuel efficient than that giant ass forehead plane?!
michaeloberg
It's not
MichikoTheJungleFox
Somehow that's not how I expected it to open.
Mezinov
Hell of a hinge aint it? Yet we can't even get a fridge door hinge that doesn't sag from the weight of a bottle of soda.
Waschbaerkoenig
While I never had a fridge door sag... try to put a little wheel under it, like the super guppy has.
choppedliveraldente
I thought it went up the butt
MichikoTheJungleFox
Yeah for some reason that's how I thought it'd work too. Like most other cargo aircraft.
picselator
Sort of like trucks transporting supercars from one track to another.
RecurringNightmare
or like big freight vessels transporting a bunch of smaller yachts...
picselator
or like possum mothers
IamTOOOLDforThisShite
Couldn't you just ... fly 'em somewhere?
guyanesebro420
You could
itypewerdsonline
ooh kay....
Emrys12
Fuck me why is this funny
StillNotYouTube
Since I was curious...it's not a common thing they do and it's only when they are retired and are being relocated to be scrapped for parts.
NotSomoneElse68
Small planes didn't have a very big flight radius.
IamTOOOLDforThisShite
I mean ... it must be common enough that the ATC specified the Guppy carries "T38 and satellite parts".
MyDragonHeartedSpirit
Couldn't they just have their pilots fly them to that location, and have the pilots take a commercial flight back? Seems like an awful expensive aircraft to fly. This bears looking into..
scissorxmextimbers
You could
GabbyJayYay
Why would you train a bear to do all that? That's pretty sus....
ThisIsYourLifeNow
Well, do you know when EXACTLY your car turns to a paperweight? I assume maintenance for them is expensive. And if they find something that costs more to repair then its worth it, they get transfered. Same for your car. Car breaks, you bring it to the mechanic, they check it out, costs xxxxx moneyz. Would you pay thousands to just drive it to the scrapeyard? no, you call a transport who does it for a few hundred.
StillNotYouTube
Maybe with better planning? I presume they needed repairs to become airworthy and that would be more expensive than using the super guppy. But yeah, seems like maybe they could have flown them to the scrap yard before they became un-airworthy.
Omicron416
Better planning? From THIS administration?!?
Agouti
Little jets like that have pretty terrible range (about 1 hour or so), use a lot of fuel to do it, and are very expensive to maintain.
It's a bit like asking "Why are Formula 1 cars trailered between races? Why can't they just drive them there?"