A few days ago, I visited Solos restaurant with my daughter on a field trip. The restaurant is built around a fully intact Boeing KC-97 tanker, built in 1953.
The Boeing KC-97 is one of the largest piston aircraft ever built by Boeing. Only one American-built piston aircraft, the Douglas Globemaster, is larger than the KC-97 (although the Globemaster’s payload is less and its speed is slower than KC-97’s) Powered by four 4360 Pratt & Whitney engines, the KC-97 was very powerful.
Each 6,000 lb. radial engine has four banks of seven pistons, 28 pistons per engine generating 3,500 hp.
The first generation of KC-97s, then designated XC-97, first flew November 15, 1944. It was designed to be the first long-range transport with a large upper fuselage. The lower part of the fuselage, including the wing and tail, are common with B-29.
On January 4, 1945, a C-97 set a new speed record from Seattle, Washington to Washington D.C., 2,323 miles in 6 hours, 3 minutes and 50 seconds. The variations of the KC-97 range from flight-refueling tankers, troop transport (seating for 80), cargo transport and the commercial, trans oceanic model 377 Stratocruiser (seating for 117). Solo’s KC-97 at one time was converted to the “L” Model. “L” designates two 15,200 lb. thrust General Electric J-47 turbojets, mounted outside of the outboard engines. These “jet assists” increased the KC-97’s speed to a compatible rate with the jets it was refueling.
Before these jets were added, it was common for KC-97s to increase speed by entering a shallow dive so the faster planes, that were refueling, would not fly so slowly they would stall. Although Solo’s KC-97’s jets were removed years ago, if you look, you will see an outline of where they were mounted.
I could not take any pictures from outside since it as snowing heavily.
Inside the restaurant
Behind the plane from inside (You can see a full size lifelike dummy watching outside the window)
Young pilots exploring the cockpit
The cockpit
