Pictures from Tinker AFB
| Vertical Stabilizer |
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| This is a photo of the vertical stabilizer which stands just under 40
feet tall. The spear-like object protruding at the top is the HF radio antenna. Visible at
the bottom of the photo is the open "petal door" which fairs the rear of the
fuselage, but is designed to be opened in flight for heavy cargo airdrops. Inside the
fuselage, just forward of the petal doors, is the pressure door which retains cabin
pressure. In an air drop, the aircraft is depressurized, the pressure door is opened, then
the petal doors are opened and the rear floor ramp is lowered to provide a completely
flat, roller-covered floor from the cockpit bulkhead all the way to the wild blue yonder.
It is truly an amazing sight to watch an Army 6 x 6 truck accelerate from 0 to 150 knots
in the length of the aircraft as it is yanked out by its extraction chute. Just so you can have a good chuckle, this particular aircraft was quite new when I took this picture. From the tail number, one can conclude that it was the 21st C-141 built by Lockheed in 1967. |
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