Dover Air Force Base in Kent County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
C-133B
Cargomaster
— S/N 59-0536 —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 11, 2019
The museum's C-133 was the last of the 50 C-133s to be manufactured
The C-133 was designed around one major mission—hauling the first generation intercontinental ballistic missiles. The largest of these was the Atlas missile. The aircraft's aft loading ramp, clamshell doors, and large circular fuselage made loading much easier than earlier generations of cargo planes.
The C-133 is still the largest turboprop aircraft ever built for the U.S. Air Force. A Dover AFB C-133 broke the world's heavy-lift record by 40,000 pounds when it lifted 117,900 pounds to 10,000 feet in 1958.
In addition to missiles, 16 loaded jeeps or three fire trucks could be loaded into its cavernous cargo compartment. The Cargomaster could also haul 96 percent of the vehicles in the U.S. Army's inventory.
The 463L pallet system still used on current U.S. Air Force aircraft was first tested and used operationally on the C-133.
Only 50 Cargomasters were built. Dover and Travis served as home bases until the last C-133 was retired in 1971.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Roads & Vehicles • War, Cold. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1957.
Location. 39° 7.083′ N, 75° 27.433′ W. Marker is in Dover, Delaware, in Kent County. It is in Dover Air Force Base. Marker can be reached from Heritage Road, 0.7 miles west of Bayside Drive (Delaware Route 9), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1301 Heritage Road, Dover AFB DE 19902, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. C-7A (within shouting distance of this marker); C-124A (within shouting distance of this marker); UH-1H (within shouting distance of this marker); C-123K (within shouting distance of this marker); A-26C (within shouting distance of this marker); C-54M (within shouting distance of this marker); C-119C (within shouting distance of this marker); F-101B (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dover.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 11, 2019
Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 13, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 148 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 13, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.