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Curtiss |
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C-46
Commando
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Photo: Robert Deering 1991
Midland
International
Airport (MAF)
Midland, Texas |
The C-46
was developed from the new and
unproven commercial aircraft design,
the CW-20, which first flew in March
1940. Deliveries of AAF C-46s began
in July 1942 for the Air Transport
Command and Troop Carrier Command.
During World War II, the USAAF
accepted 3,144 C-46s for hauling
cargo and personnel and for towing
gliders. Of this total, 1,410 were
C-46Ds.
The C-46
gained its greatest fame during WWII
transporting war materials over the
"Hump" from India to China after the
Japanese had closed the Burma Road.
C-46 flights on the treacherous air
route over the Himalayas began in
May 1943. The Commando carried more
cargo than the famous
C-47
and offered better performance at
higher altitudes, but under these
difficult flying conditions, C-46s
required extensive maintenance and
had a relatively high loss rate. In
Europe, C-46s dropped paratroopers
during the aerial crossing of the
Rhine River near Wesel in March
1945. C-46s saw additional service
during the Korean War.
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SPECIFICATIONS: |
PERFORMANCE: |
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Span: 108 ft.
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Maximum speed: 245 mph
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Length:
76 ft. 4 in.
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Cruising speed: 175 mph
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Height: 22 ft.
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Range:
1,200 miles
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Empty Weight: |
Service ceiling: 27,600 ft. |
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Gross Weight: 51,000 lbs. maximum
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Crew: |
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Engines: Two
Pratt & Whitney R-2800s
of 2,000 hp each
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Armament:
None
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SOURCE:
National Museum of the United States
Air Force |
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%20(8X4).jpg)
Photo:
Robert Deering 10/18/2012
National Museum of
the USAF
Wright-Patterson AFB (FFO)
Dayton, Ohio |
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