c131

This aircraft, C-131B (JC-131B) Ser. No. 53-7823, was among the first utilized by the Air Force for research concerning weightless environments (see other photos of 53-7823 within the SDASM Flickr Photostream with the aft cabin equipped with a padded floor and walls for this purpose). Also note that the aircraft is named "How High The Moon" on the port-side, just under the "U.S. Air Force" markings below the cockpit. See photo: See also mention of 53-7823 and its role here: oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=ht... See also the entry at the Internet Movie Plane Database ("IMPDb)" for "When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions," which features screenshots of footage of the aircraft: impdb.org/index.php?title=When_We_Left_Earth:_The_NASA_Mi... Note, that this footage was likely taken from filming of and aboard the aircraft of Mercury astronauts in March 1960. See information here provided by the US National Archives: catalog.archives.gov/id/67858 National Archives Identifier:67858 Local Identifier:342-USAF-28327 Creator(s):Department of Defense. Department of the Air Force. 9/26/1947- (Most Recent) From:Series: Moving Images Relating to Military Aviation Activities, 1947 - 1984 Record Group 342: Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations, 1900 - 2003 Description: Summary: Coverage of Zero-G experiments by US Mercury astronauts aboard a C-131B flying laboratory. Included are scenes of the astronauts floating,rolling and tumbling in the C-131B, AV's of C-131B from a T-33A, Mercury astronauts on ramp and boarding aircraft, and C-131B taking off and landing. Reel 1 -- Scenes of four astronauts aboard C-131B, HOW HIGH THE MOON, in flight, the astronauts floating, rolling, tumbling, doing pushoffs, walking on ceiling, and attempting to drink water and lift weights. Reel 2 -- Scenes show four astronauts aboard C-131B in flight as they float, roll, tumble, do pushoffs, walk on ceiling, attempt to drink water and lifts weights. Reel 3 -- 1) The C-131B in flight to right and left doing Keplerian trajectories. 2) Scenes of astronauts aboard C-131B floating, rolling, tumbling, and attempting to drink from glass. 3) C-131B nose with name: HOW HIGH THE MOON, on it. 4) Scenes of C-131B taking off to left and landing to left. 5) Astronauts aboard C-131B floating, rolling, tumbling, and attempting to walk on the ceiling. Reel 4 -- 1) Scenes of C-131B in flight to left doing Keplerian trajectories. 2) Shows Capt. Donald K. Slayton, Lt. Malcom S. Carpenter, Capt. Virgil I. Grissom, Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, and Lt. Comdr. Alan B. Shepard on ramp during briefing and boarding aircraft. 3) INT scenes of C-131B cockpit during Keplerian trajectories. 4) Shows C-131B engine starting. Good (Basic: Orig color)

Interesting shot, to see a Convair Samaritan inside. A fave for me

This aircraft, C-131B (JC-131B) Ser. No. 53-7823, was among the first utilized by the Air Force for research concerning weightless environments (see other photos of 53-7823 within the SDASM Flickr Photostream with the aft cabin equipped with a padded floor and walls for this purpose). Also note that the aircraft is named "How High The Moon" on the port-side, just under the "U.S. Air Force" markings below the cockpit. See also mention of 53-7823 and its role here: oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=ht...