NASA’s rare Super Guppy aircraft lands in Lakeland ahead of SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo

LAKELAND, Fla. - An iconic NASA aircraft with ties to the Apollo missions will be at this year's SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo in Lakeland.

The backstory:

NASA's Super Guppy cargo aircraft is a remarkable plane with a highly unique mission.

"These aircraft date all the way back to the 1960s and participated in carrying cargo and supplies all the way back to the Apollo missions," Eric Crump, VP of the Aerospace Center for Excellence, said.

In 1961, the first Guppy aircraft, called the Pregnant Guppy, carried the second stage of a Saturn rocket for the Apollo program.

By the numbers:

It boasts some impressive specifications, including a cargo area that is 25 feet in diameter and 111 feet long.

"A lot of this airplane is made up of military parts. For example, our engines here are from the P-3 Orion, the propeller blades are from a C-130 Hercules, and even the nose gear is from a Boeing 747," Crump said. "It's turned backwards to allow the nose of the aircraft to do that unique thing it does to allow the cargo to come in through the fuselage of the aircraft."

There are only four of these aircraft in the world, and the Super Guppy is the world's largest-volume cargo transporter.

Dig deeper:

The crew who flew the Super Guppy into Lakeland Linder International Airport on Wednesday will pick up the Artemis II astronauts when they land off the coast of San Diego on Friday and bring them back to Houston.

Guests at this year's SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo will be able to see the aircraft for the first time, including what it looks like on the inside — weather permitting.

"They don't show up at every airshow," Crump said. "Having this here is a result of three years of collaboration with NASA, so we're very fortunate to have it here."

What's next:

The SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo at Lakeland Linder International Airport begins next Tuesday, April 14, and lasts until April 19.