The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II was a large piston-powered military transport developed from the C-74. Known to crews as Old Shaky, it first flew on 27 November 1949. Deliveries began in May 1950, and the United States Air Force acquired 448 before production ended in 1955.[1]Douglas C-124 Globemaster IINational Museum of the United States Air Force · nationalmuseum.af.mil · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
Handling heavy equipment
The C-124’s defining feature was its ability to load bulky equipment directly into the fuselage. Clamshell doors opened beneath the cockpit, hydraulic ramps connected the hold to the ground, and an elevator served the rear fuselage. Tanks, construction machinery, artillery and trucks could therefore be carried as assembled loads.[1]Douglas C-124 Globemaster IINational Museum of the United States Air Force · nationalmuseum.af.mil · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
Inside, overhead electric cranes moved freight along a cargo compartment approximately 77 feet long. Each crane could handle 16,000 pounds. The cabin could also be configured with two decks for troops, illustrating how an aircraft designed around heavy freight could serve mass personnel movements. Four Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines provided power.[2]C-124A Globemaster IIAir Mobility Command Museum · amcmuseum.org · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
Cold War operations
Globemasters operated during the Korean War and supported the movement of forces to Europe during the 1961 Berlin crisis. They also helped supply Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica. Such assignments combined long-distance transport with the need to carry equipment that would otherwise require extensive dismantling or slower surface shipment.[2]C-124A Globemaster IIAir Mobility Command Museum · amcmuseum.org · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
Reserve service and preservation
By 1970, most C-124s had transferred to the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard. The type’s service ended in 1974. The National Museum of the United States Air Force preserves a C-124C that had served with the Georgia Air National Guard and arrived at the museum in 1975. The Air Mobility Command Museum preserves an earlier C-124A, allowing both major production versions to be studied.[1]Douglas C-124 Globemaster IINational Museum of the United States Air Force · nationalmuseum.af.mil · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details[2]C-124A Globemaster IIAir Mobility Command Museum · amcmuseum.org · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details