NASA’s uncommon Super Guppy plane lands in Lakeland forward of SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo

LAKELAND, Fla. – An iconic NASA plane with ties to the Apollo missions might be at this yr’s SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo in Lakeland.

The backstory:

NASA’s Super Guppy cargo plane is a outstanding aircraft with a extremely distinctive mission.

“These aircraft date all the way back to the 1960s and participated in carrying cargo and supplies all the way back to the Apollo missions,” Eric Crump, VP of the Aerospace Center for Excellence, mentioned.

In 1961, the primary Guppy plane, known as the Pregnant Guppy, carried the second stage of a Saturn rocket for the Apollo program.

By the numbers:

It boasts some spectacular specs, together with a cargo space that’s 25 ft in diameter and 111 ft lengthy.

“A lot of this airplane is made up of military parts. For example, our engines here are from the P-3 Orion, the propeller blades are from a C-130 Hercules, and even the nose gear is from a Boeing 747,” Crump mentioned. “It’s turned backwards to allow the nose of the aircraft to do that unique thing it does to allow the cargo to come in through the fuselage of the aircraft.”

There are solely 4 of those plane on the planet, and the Super Guppy is the world’s largest-volume cargo transporter.

Dig deeper:

The crew who flew the Super Guppy into Lakeland Linder International Airport on Wednesday will choose up the Artemis II astronauts after they land off the coast of San Diego on Friday and convey them again to Houston.

Guests at this yr’s SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo will have the ability to see the plane for the primary time, together with what it seems to be like on the within — climate allowing.

“They don’t show up at every airshow,” Crump mentioned. “Having this here is a result of three years of collaboration with NASA, so we’re very fortunate to have it here.”

What’s subsequent:

The SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo at Lakeland Linder International Airport begins subsequent Tuesday, April 14, and lasts till April 19.

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