Photographed moments after takeoff, the Aero Spacelines 'Pregnant Guppy' shows off the dramatically enlarged fuselage that made it instantly recognizable on airfields across the country during the 1960s. Converted from a Boeing C-97/377 Stratocruiser, the Guppy was built to carry oversized aerospace cargo, most famously the massive stages of NASA's Saturn rockets, which could not be transported by any conventional aircraft of the era. Its unusual silhouette made it a familiar and beloved sight to aviation enthusiasts and a vital, if unofficial, partner to America's growing space program. Project: 218463