Revered to the Very End

WHERE, OH WHERE, HAS OUR "GRANDPAPPY" gone? That lament, of course, refers to the greatly admired old Boeing XB-15 cum XC-105, a pachydermatous beast from 1930s' America. Now we know for certain, despite the manufacturer's erroneous information published in a company history book by Boeing Airplane Co. in 1953, just what happened to that great bird.

The spiral-bound book, compiled by Boeing's own Engineering Education Unit, stated that the much-loved giant was dismantled "at a Texas base." The only airplane in the USAAC and USAAF referred to as a "He," instead of the more typical reference, was the largest monoplane ever built in the USA when it first flew on October 15, 1937, about 26 months after the prototype Boeing 299 (often erroneously referred to as XB-17) made its first takeoff.

With a 149-foot wingspan and a design gross weight of 70,706 pounds, it was more than twice as heavy as the first Flying Fortress. Ordered as the XBLR-1 in May 1934, it was redesignated XB-15, Serial AC35-277, by the time it flew. Sadly, it was terribly underpowered at 4,000 total rated takeoff horsepower with four P&W R-1830-11 radial engines. Eventually, however, it gained fame for breaking several weight, speed and altitude world records for its class. It couldn't be called a gentle giant because it was definitely "heavy on the controls." Of course, the bomber underwent extensive trials before being assigned to operational status in the Army Air Corps.

Interestingly, in April 1940, Capt. Curtis E. LeMay served as navigator in a 10-man crew aboard the XB-15 during an experimental bombing assignment in Panama. Later in 1940, the XB-15 ended its bomber career. It was converted into a transport for the new Army Air Force Ferry Command. Longitudinal benches were installed in the lengthy cabin to accommodate 42 "passengers" (mostly ferry pilots for transatlantic flights) being transported to a new base at Gander Lake, Newfoundland. Pilots returning from England were then flown back to Florida or to bases en route. Only one such flight was made before "Grandpappy" was sent to San Antonio Air Depot (SAAD) for additional conversion in 1941. Four teardrop turrets and the upper turret were replaced by flush-mounted Plexiglas emergency exit panels. It then began a career of ferrying personnel between Duncan Field, Florida, and Albrook Field, Canal Zone (C.Z.), with flights to other bases in the Caribbean area.

Final conversion actions were accomplished at SAAD in 1943 when all bomb-rack equipment was removed and cargo doors, cargo hoists and containers were installed. New P&W R-1830-61 engines and Hamilton Standard constant-speed propellers were mounted. Col. H. Z. Bogert, Wright Field, Ohio, certified a major increase in gross weight to approximately 92,000 pounds, along with a formal redesignation as XC-105 on May 6, 1943, to reflect its duties. On each side of the fuselage, forward of the flight deck, "Grandpappy" gained nicely rendered insignias that showed an elephant with cargo containers.

Assigned to the 20th Troop Carrier Squadron (Special) in March 1943, it flew to Howard Field, C.Z. Within days, it was transferred to Albrook Field and was soon flying passenger and freight shuttle runs between the C.Z., Miami Army Air Field, Florida, and the Galapagos Islands base at Baltra.

Lt. Starr K. Thompson was the final captain of "Grandpappy" for 30 missions, and his senior flight engineer was S/Sgt. Ed Milam who logged 418 hrs, 59 minutes aboard. While assigned to the C.Z., Thompson logged about 2,000 flight hours flying military oddities such as Fairchild UC-61s (civil Model 24s), but more often in Douglas C-47s and other Dakotas/Skytrains.

"Grandpappy" actually set himself on fire twice and once shorted out the relatively new 110V electrical system, which forced the crew members to crank the landing gear down manually. One day in 1944, Lt. Col. Velasquez and a crew of inspectors descended on old AC35-277 and grounded the venerable monster when a crack was found in one of the main landing-gear wheels. Numerous other discrepancies were found and, on December 18, 1944, the limping giant was transferred to Panama Air Depot and relegated to Class 26 (unflyable). It was scheduled for dismantling in May 1945. However, it remained dormant (minus the vertical tail, courtesy of a passing truck) on the Albrook Field flightline. Later that year, the XC-105 was at last dismantled. Its various parts were buried in a dump at Diablo, C.Z., in an unmarked grave, less than a mile from its most useful runway at Albrook Field. Rest in pieces.

Copyright Air Age Publishing Oct 2004
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