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U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet Boeing HC-97 The U.S.

Air Force converted 29 KC-97G tanker aircraft (see KC-97 Fact Sheet) into the HC-97G search and rescue aircraft. The piston engine KC-97Gs were being replaced by the jet engine KC-135 Stratotanker. The KC-97G airframes having seen only 10 years of use and having thousands of hours of service life remaining were available for reuse . The KC-97G had suitable speed, endurance ,and space for pararescue specialists gear , rescue coordination staff , electronic search equipment , and the communications equipment for rescue and rescue co-ordination use . HC-97 were converted to not only deploy pararescue specialists but to also serve as the airborne command post for managing the rescue helicopters ,often participating in the rescue also carrying rescue specialist and in combat situations the combat aircraft providing suppression of enemy forces. The aircraft were assigned to active and reserve units. The HC-97G was developed to serve as an interim replacement for the HC-54 until all active duty and reserve Aerospace Rescue and Recovery squadrons, that had been operating the HC-54 or were allocated to use long endurance multi-engine search and rescue aircraft could be equipped with the HC-130 (search and rescue configured C-130 Hercules) . The production rate of HC-130 aircraft was not able to match the Air Forces desired date for completion of the retirement of the HC-54. The HC-54 were Douglas Skymaster (US military version of the DC-4 airliner and cargo aircraft) fitted for search and rescue. The conversions were done by the Fairchild- Stratos Corporation in 1963- 1964. The conversion consisted of removing the flying boom and some of the aft tankage lines and plumbing. All of the upper tanks were removed leaving the lower tanks for extended range. The conversion included installing a 50 Gallon tank to facilitate the means of carrying extra oil for the engines and transferring the oil to the central oil tank that was part of the aircrafts original equipment. Since the air rescue mission calls for low altitude operations, an air conditioning system was added to cool the flight deck area of the airplane. The boom was replaced with cargo doors which were available from spare parts and aircraft already removed from service. Additional communications equipment and seating for equipment operators was also installed. HC-97G were utilized as part of the worldwide U.S. Armed Forces support to the NASA manned spaceflight programs. HC-97G were used in combat operations in Southeast Asia and non combat search and rescue missions in support of civil authorities in North America. During the years the HC-97G was in service the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service units were assigned to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) and its successor Military Airlift Command , predecessor agencies to Air Mobility Command . The last HC-97G was removed from service in 1972. Type Number built/ Remarks converted HC-97G 29 (cv) Rescue conversions

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