The Aeroplane, in its June 21, 1957 issue, reported on the progress of the massive Douglas C-133A being manufactured for the US Air Force
The US military recognised the need for the rapid reinforcement of allies should the Cold War have turned hot. At the time the C-133A was the largest and heaviest transport aircraft and in future decades what became McDonnell Douglas would produce the C-17A which serves the same air arm in significant numbers today.
The Biggest Turboprop Transport
AT the Long Beach Division of the Douglas Airplane Co., the world's largest and heaviest turboprop-engined aeroplane is now in series production and deliveries to the U.S.A.F. are being steadily maintained. When we visited the Douglas C-133A production line last March, four aircraft had flown (the first on April 23, 1956) and nine others were in various stages of final assembly.
