The aircraft was powered by four, large Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major piston engines producing 3,800 hp (2,800 kW) each.

The C-124's design featured two, large, clamshell doors and a hydraulically actuated ramp in the nose, as well as a cargo elevator under the aft fuselage.

Wingtip-mounted combustion heaters were added to heat the cabin, and enable wing and tail surface deicing.

They performed heavy-lift cargo operations for the U.S. military worldwide, including flights to Southeast Asia, Africa, and elsewhere.

Their primary duty was to transport nuclear weapons between air bases and to provide airlift of SAC personnel and equipment during exercises and overseas deployments.