Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy Turbine
Aero Spacelines · United States · first flew 1970 · transport aircraft
The Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy Turbine was an outsized cargo aircraft derived from the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser with a greatly enlarged upper fuselage, designed to carry oversized components including early Space Shuttle hardware. The turboprop version replaced the earlier piston-engined Mini Guppy.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Bulbous enlarged upper fuselage for outsized cargo — Guppy family |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Bulbous enlarged upper fuselage for outsized cargo — Guppy family
- Four Allison 501 turboprops on a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser wing
- Swinging nose for straight-in cargo loading of large assemblies
Identified by the dramatically enlarged upper fuselage lobe above the original 377 lower fuselage, the swinging nose section, four turboprop engines on the original 377 wing, and the enormous internal cargo volume visible when the nose is open.
Specifications
- The Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy Turbine has a length of 41.3 m (135 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 47.753 m (157 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 407 km/h (253 mph).
- Typical crew: 4.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Aero Spacelines developed the Guppy family from the late 1950s to support NASA's Apollo and later Space Shuttle programmes. The Mini Guppy Turbine first flew in 1970, replacing the original piston-engined Mini Guppy. Only one example was built; it was later sold to France where it supported Airbus component transportation before being retired.
Variants
The family includes the Pregnant Guppy, Super Guppy, Mini Guppy, and the turbine-powered Super Guppy Turbine; all share the distinctive bulged upper fuselage.
Where you'll see it
Operated by Aero Spacelines for NASA cargo movements and subsequently by UTA/Airbus in France for large aircraft component transport.
Related aircraft
- Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy
- Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
- Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy
- Aero Spacelines Super Guppy Turbine
- Alenia G.222
- Boeing CC-137 Husky
- C-27A Spartan
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