Better than c47

[nonoht]

look at this beautiful C-46 !!!

     

 

The Curtiss C-46 "Commando", of which over 3,000 models were built, holds the distinction of being the largest and heaviest twin-engine aircraft to see operational service in the Pacific Theater. With its two 2,400 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines, the C-46 proved to be a more powerful aircraft than its C-47 counterpart, possessing a greater load carrying capacity and better performance at high altitude. The majority of the production models were employed by the Army Air Forces and became famous for flying supplies from India to China over the Himalayas on missions that were referred to as flying over "The Hump".

The 160 production versions of the C-46, designated R5Cs, went to the Marines for use as cargo and troop transports (the R5C could carry fifty fully-equipped men) during their World War II island hopping campaign in the Pacific.

When the military career of the C-46 (R5C) came to its inevitable conclusion, surplus aircraft found a home in the civilian sector as entrepreneurs bought them in hopes of establishing air cargo businesses.

The Museum's aircraft (BuNo 39611) was acquired in 1988 from the Florida Aircraft Leasing Corporation.

TECHNICAL DATA

Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright Corp.
Type: Transport
Crew: Three plus 27 passengers or 10,000 lbs cargo
Powerplant: Two 2,400 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800
Dimensions: Span 95'; length 63' 3"
Weight: 56,000 lbs gross
Speed: 227 mph maximum
Range: 975 miles tactical




[This message has been edited by nonoht (edited 06-09-2000).]

[Fury]

"Crew: Three plus 27 passengers"

It would be neat to be able to carry 27 grunts, drop 10 and run, and if for some reason a few of your grunts did not make it and you got away unmolested, you can come back for another drop.  All this without having to replane or rely on another C47.

Lets say the ack comes back up before they all make it, or someone pulls up an M16 and gets a few of your grunts; situations like that.  With proper bomber coordination overhead and some ground pounders to take out the M16, you could circle back for another pass (or two).
Fury

[popeye]

...and It's Never Been Done in a Sim Before.  

popeye

[Karnak]

I was actually thinking about posting info on this aircraft.  Looks like Nonoht beat me to it though.  

Sisu

[fdiron]

The C46 caught fire very easily.  In an Airborne mission in Europe, C46s were used to drop U.S. troops into Germany I believe.  AA fire started firing on the C46s and very many of them caught fire due to a design flaw.  While most of the paratroopers managed to bail out, most of the C46 crews whos plane caught fire died.  The source of my information? "Citizen Soldier" by Stephen Ambrose.

[Dune]

My paternal grandfather flew C-46's in the CBI.  He flew them over the Hump during the last few months of WWII.  He was stationed with the 1305th AAFBU in India.  I have been trying to find out some more information on him.  I contacted a veteran who has a website about the CBI.  This is his reply to my email:

 

Jim:

Thanks for your note. It gave me a chance to dig into my memory for any
information that might be of assistance to you in your search for
information about your Grandfather.

Since he was a C-46 pilot in India, it is probable that his duty was to
fly the Hump. I don't have a record that shows where the 1305 AAFBU was
located. I do remember that the 1304th was ouside of Calcutta but the
numbers don't actually mean anything other than that there was an AAFBU
with that number someplace. In virtually all, if not all, the
designation Army Air Force Base Unit identified an airfield. For
example, my unit was the 1348th AAFBU located at Myitkyina, Burma. Each
base had an identifying symbol - Myitkyina was FC (Fox Charlie) while
Chabua in India was KC(King Charlie) and Kunming, China was RQ (Roger
Queen), using the old nomenclature, it has now been all changed to
different words for the letters. Being American pilots, KC was always
Kansas City to us, no matter what the brass said! They tried and tried
to get us to use King Charlie but no dice!

The C-46 was the largest 2 engine air craft in the world at that time.
It supposedly had a gross take off weight of 50,000 lbs but more often
was overloaded becaue the big R2800 engines developed 2000 horse power
so it could carry a lot of weight and attain enough altitude to fly over
the mountains called The Hump, the Himalaya mountains. That R2800 refers
to it being a radial engine of 2800 cubic inch displacement. That is the
engine that powered the B-29. For reference, the Oldsmobile "Rocket
Engine" had a displacement of 455 cubic inches, the big block Chevy was
500 cubic inches displacement..

The C-46 carried just about anything you can imagine the fighter planes
in China and the Chinese army needed to fight the Japanese in mainland
China. I have a good friend who flew C-46s over the Hump and one day
found he had a plane stuffed to the roof with cartons of Kotex. The crew
had to crawl through a tunnel in the cartons to reach the cockpit. He
was extremely perturbed at the Air Force until informed that Kotex was
extremely useful as filters for the engines on P-40s, P-51s and P-38s!.
We carried 100 octane gas in drums, machine gun and rifle bullets, small
bombs, spare parts and many other things. I grew up in Iowa, went to
Burma and flew Missouri mules to China. 4 mules and 4 Chinese soldiers
made a full load.

One thing you can be sure of, your Grandfather was a good pilot. It took
a good one to fly the Dumbo, Flying Elephant or The Whale as we
nicknamed them. I flew C-46s in North Africa and the Middle East and was
switched to C-47s for my Hump flying. He had to be a good pilot if he
survived the Hump, believe me. We were unique in that our flying was
unique. We firmly believe that we flew with the eagles.

If United is flying from Los Angeles to Tucson, AZ tomorrow I'll be
attending the Air Transport Command Hump Pilots Reunion. Do you know if
your Grandfather was in the Air Transport Command or in Troop Carrier or
Combat Cargo? If he was in the ATC there is a good chance I can find
someone at the reunion that was stationed at the 1305th AAFBU and
possibly knew your Grandfather or at least where the 1305th was located.

Congratulations on trying to learn more about your Grandfather's story.
He was in "The Forgotten War". The CBI was at the bottom of the pile
when it came to getting recognition, supplies, etc. Most people today
don't even realize there was a war in China, Burma and India and yet the
Hump air lift supported the American and Chinese forces in China and
allowed them to keep about a million and a half Japanese troops locked
down in China. Otherwwise they would have been in the South Pacific
fighting our Marines and Army in the drive to chase them back to Japan.
The Hump was the only connection to China from the outside world after
the Japanese cut the Burma Road. That air lift made the Berlin air lift
look like child's play in the tonnage delivered! Also in the planes and
crews lost. General Arnold (Commanding General of the Air Force) and
General Marshal, (commander of all miltary services) said flying the
Hump was the most dangerous flying of WWII.

I'm putting a reminder in this Confuser to remind me to send you any
information I can find in Tucson when I get home next week. Thanks for
letting me try to help your search.

Best Regard,

Bill Mumford

I would love to see a C-46 in AH!

 

------------------
Lt Col Dune
X.O. 352nd Fighter Group
"The Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney"

"Credo quia absurdum est." (I believe it because it is unreasonable)
- The motto of the Republic of Baja Arizona

[Replicant]

Beautiful plane!  BUT, how many paratroopers can a C47 actually carry?  We're limited to 10, but I had a look in one the other month and it had seating for about 25 troops.  Anyone know?

Regards

'Nexx'