Howard DH-100 DBA 3D model

Around 1965, NASA actively solicited proposals from several companies to design an aircraft that would be capable of transport- ing the Saturn II rocket booster— the center of the U.S. space pro- gram at the time — from California to its launch site in Florida, Until then, NASA had relied on ships to carry the 166-foot-long, 40-foot-diameter Saturn II to Florida via the Panama Canal. Sea transport was slow, hut no airplane in existence then had the cargo capacity necessary to do the job. Several proposals were submitted, but the Dee Howard Co. was given the go-ahead to develop the DH-100 DBA.