Aero Spacelines
Aero Spacelines, Inc. was an American aircraft manufacturer from 1960 to 1968 that converted Boeing 377 Stratocruisers into the famous Guppy line of airplanes, re-engineered to transport oversized cargo such as space exploration vehicles.NASA needed to transport outsize cargo from manufacturing plants such as the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.John M. "Jack" Conroy, a retired United States Air Force pilot, and Lee Mansdorf, an aircraft salesman and entrepreneur, formulated the Guppy concept one evening over dinner.[1] NASA's Project Gemini made early use of the Pregnant Guppy to transport the first and second stages of Titan II GLV from the Martin Co. in Baltimore, Maryland, to Cape Canaveral, Florida.[citation needed] Aero Spacelines was sold in August 1965 to Unexcelled, Inc., a publicly-traded company that had subsidiaries engaged in discount store retailing, meatpacking equipment and iron castings.
airlinespacelineAero Spacelines Mini GuppyTillamook Air MuseumTillamook, OregonJohn M. ConroyPregnant GuppySuper GuppyMini GuppyAirbusBoeing 377 StratocruisersNational Aeronautics and Space Administrationoutsize cargoCape Canaveral Air Force StationFloridaJohn M. "Jack" ConroyUnited States Air ForceWorld War IIArmy Air CorpsVan Nuys AirportBoeing 377Project GeminiAero Spacelines Super GuppySan DiegoConvairCivil Aeronautics BoardConroy AircraftSpace Launch SystemList of preserved Aero Spacelines aircraftAirbus BelugaBoeing DreamlifterConroy Skymonster377PG Pregnant Guppy377SG Super Guppy377SGT Super Guppy Turbine377MG Mini Guppy377MGT Mini Guppy Turbine