[Yale]

Deckape's beautiful model of the C-124 reminds me of another famous Douglas transport, the C-54. That was the plane Systems Command used in the 1960s for its shuttle service between Patrick AFB, Florida, and Washington, DC. One Friday afternoon another lieutenant and I joined the flight; the only other space-A passenger was a light colonel who went to sleep even before takeoff.
So we barreled down the runway, lifted off, felt/heard the gear retract -- and almost immediately smelled smoke. The colonel laughed when we woke him up, explaining that there was no brake on the nosewheel. This meant that the wheel was still spinning when the gear retracted, so the tire just rubbed on the inside of the wheel well until stopped by the friction.
Learning why the smell of burning rubber was part of every takeoff was a good lesson to learn about the C-54, but not one that inspired much confidence.