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Curtiss C-46




The Curtiss C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II .

Also known to the men who flew them as "The Whale". The C-46 served a similar role as its brother the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, but was not quite as famous or as heavily produced. The Navy/Marine Corps version was known as the R5C.

This aircraft had a patented fuselage conventionally referred to as a "figure of eight" which enabled it to better withstand the pressure differential at high altitudes. This was done by having the sides of the fuselage creased at the level of the floor that not only separated the two portions but shared in the stress of each, rather than just supporting itself. Production models were unpressurized, but retained the figure eight fuselage configuration. The C-46 could carry more cargo higher than other Allied aircraft, and was used to carry cargo over the Himalaya s.


VARIANTS

  • C-46A

  • CX-46B

  • XC-46C

  • C-46D

  • C-46E

  • C-46F

  • C-46G

  • C-46H

  • C-46J

  • AC-46K : Unbuilt version.

  • XC-46K

  • XC-46L

  • C-55

  • XC-113

  • R5C-1 : Military transport version for the US Marine Corps.



UNITS USING THE C-46

  • Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force

  • Haitian Air Corps

  • United States Army Air Forces

  • United States Air Force

  • United States Marine Corps

  • United States Navy



SPECIFICATIONS (C-46)


  plane Or Copter plane
  jet Or Prop prop
  crew 4
  capacity 50 passengers
  length Main 76 ft 4 in
  length Alt 2327 m
  span Main 108 ft 1 in
  span Alt 329 m
  height Main 21 ft 9 in
  height Alt 663 m
  area Main 1,360 ft&2
  area Alt 1268 m&2
  empty Weight Main 32,400 lb
  empty Weight Alt 14,696 kg
  max Takeoff Weight Main 48,000 lb
  max Takeoff Weight Alt 21,772 kg
  engine (prop) Pratt & Whitney R-2800 -51
  type Of Prop two-row 18-cylinder Radial Engine s
  number Of Props 2
  power Main 2,000 hp
  power Alt 1,490 kW
  max Speed Main 269 mph
  max Speed Alt 433 km/h
  range Main 2,950 mi
  range Alt 4,748 km
  ceiling Main 27,600 ft
  ceiling Alt 8,410 m
  climb Rate Main 1,300 ft/min
  climb Rate Alt 66 m/s
  loading Main lb/ft&sup2
  loading Alt kg/m&sup2
  power/mass Main hp/lb
  power/mass Alt kW/kg



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