07/21/2007. Remarks by Weldon Stevens: "The XC-99 was a transport version of the B-36 and retained the same wings, the six 3,500 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-25 engines, tail structure and landing gear, but had a new double deck fuselage. The design of this plane began in early 1942 and production was approved on the last day of that year. Only one was ordered by the USAAF (s/n 43-52436) and built at San Diego, California, it was first flown by Russell R. Rogers and his crew on November 23, 1947.

After flight testing it was delivered to the USAF on May 26, 1949 and put into regular inventory/service. The XC-99 more than paid for itself because of the amount of cargo it could haul and the range it could fly. While it was based at Kelly AFB, San Antonio, Texas, I saw it come into Carswell AFB, Fort Worth, several times, it was awesome to see it flying. It was retired in 1957.

A veterans group in San Antonio put it on public display, it was interesting to go through it and compare it with the XB-36. Because of the long-range and limited airports/service, the design allowed engine repair while in flight. To give you an idea as to the size of the wing, I am 5 ft 8 in (1,73 m) tall and could walk out to the middle engine standing erect; I had to stoop at the outboard engine.

The plane later succumbed to vandalism and disrepair. It was pulled from display and put in storage at Kelly AFB. It is my understanding that it is being restored to be returned to museum status and will be moved to the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio.

After WW II Convair offered a civilian passenger version to the airlines. It had the long-range as well as a passenger load of about 250, as I remember. Pan American ordered several of them and even promoted it in their advertisements. They later canceled it "because they would never need that kind of passenger capacity."