CURTISS C-46 Commando

The Curtiss C-46 Commando was the outgrowth of a civilian transport design. It was first flown during 1940. Military production versions served as both troop transports and cargo aircraft in WWII, and continued active military service as late as the 1960’s, with units of the United States and foreign countries. Also, many war-surplus C-46s were employed by airlines in different parts of the world.

A partial list of users would include: the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, Chinese Air Force, Republic of Korea Air Force, Japanese Self-Defense Force, Flying Tiger Airline, Braniff, All-American Airways, and many many more.

The aircraft is most famous for “Flying the Hump” in the Far East during WWII. This was over the Himalaya Mountains, transporting desperately needed supplies to troops in China from bases in India and Burma. A variety of transports had previously been employed in the effort, but only the C-46 was able to handle the adverse conditions with unpredictable weather, lack of radio aids and direction finders, engineering and maintenance nightmares due to a shortage of trained air and ground personnel and poorly equipped airfields often wiped out by monsoon rains. 3,140 were built.

Vier uitvoeringen mogelijk;