c133

The aircraft pictured is a Douglas C-133A-DL Cargomaster. The side opening "petal" doors (the doors with the yellow bands) were installed to facilitate the loading of ICBMs such as the Atlas shown. This aircraft was withdrawn from service in July of 1971, then scrapped in 1974.

The following is from Joe Baugher's website. 56-2000 Douglas C-133A-15-DL Cargomaster MSN 45165 Converted to JC-133A. To MASDC as CU032 Jul 26, 1971. Purchased by Foundation for Airborne Relief. Due to FAA and possibly State Department restrictions, that concept went under. Now owned by Properties Investment Enterprises of Santa Barbara, CA, registered as N200AR Oct 25, 1973. There is a reference to this plane as being scrapped. Plane has been stored at Mojave AP, CA since 1974. Reported to have been acquired by Jimmmy Doolittle Air and Space Museum as spares source for 56-1999. Registration N200AR cancelled Apr 11, 2013

Unfortunately, the Douglas C-133B Cargomaster this Centaur stage is being loaded on to (USAF Ser. No. 59-0523) would crash with the loss of all nine souls aboard just short of Travis Air Force Base during a failed practice instrument approach to the base on April 10, 1963. See: aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19630410-0 and www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/C-133b_crash_site.htm