Sacred Cow
(Photos: USAF Museum)
This
Douglas C-54, dubbed the "Sacred Cow", was extensively modified for use by
President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Including a conference room, a bullet proof picture
window and an elevator for raising and lowering President
Roosevelt and his wheelchair.
It was this aircraft that he used in
February 1945 to travel to Yalta, U.S.S.R. for his meeting with Joseph Stalin and Winston
Churchill. The National Security Act of 1947 which established the United States Air Force
was signed by Harry S. Truman aboard the Sacred Cow on July 26, 1947.
SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 117 ft. 6 in.
Length: 93 ft. 5 in.
Height: 27 ft. 7 in.
Weight: 80,000 lbs. loaded
Armament: None
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney R-2000 engines of 1,450 hp.
each
Crew: Seven (plus 15 passengers)
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 300 mph
Cruising speed: 245 mph
Range: 3,900 miles
Service Ceiling: 30,000 ft.
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