Douglas C-124 Globemaster II (1949-1955): The C-124 Globemaster II was an improved version of the 1945 Douglas C-74 Globemaster. The C-124 featured a gigantic fuselage, with clamshell doors under the plane's nose that allowed dive-in access to a cargo compartment almost 12 feet high. It made its first flight on November 27, 1949 from the Douglas plant at Long Beach, Ca. Its delivery to the U.S. Air Force coincided with the onset of the Korean War and the C-124 played an important role in the airlift of supplies to the Far East. The C-124 could carry more cargo, longer distances than any other military transport of the time. It could accommodate 200 troops, or 123 stretchers, or up to 74,000 pounds of cargo. The last of 448 C-124 Globemaster IIs were delivered to the Air Force in 1955, but the big plane's dependability allowed it to remain in service until 1978.