High Gallery
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U.
S. Military Aircraft Curtiss-Wright C-46 COMMANDO Photo by P. Makanna |
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In the late 1930s Curtiss-Wright planned a large twin-engine transport with which it hope to emulate the success of the Douglas DC-3. This CW-20T first flew in March 1940. Revised as the CW-20A with single vertical surface and a straight tail plane. With war approaching, the US Army developed an interest, and casualty evacuation derivative was ordered into production as the C-46 Commando. The C-46 entered service in July 1942, and was the US Army Air Force largest and heaviest twin engine type. The Commando was better suited to Pacific theater operations as it lacked the protection to withstand German fighters and flak in the glider-tug and Para trooping roles. Total production was 3,341, many passing onto the civil market when slowly discarded by the US forces after the Second World War. |
TECHNICAL DATA
| Description | Specifications |
| Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright | Length: 76 ft. 4 in. |
| First Flight: | Height: 21 ft 9 in. |
| Model: A | Wing Span: 108 ft. 0 in. |
| Crew: Four | Wing Area: 1,360.0 sq. ft. |
| Nickname: Commando | Empty Weight: 30,000 lb. |
| Basic Role: Transport | Max.Weight:45,000 lb. |
| Other Versions: C-46 the initial model with R-2800-43 engines. C-46 Athe updated model with R-2800-51 engine and a large cargo door. C-46D transport version with a redesigned nose and a extra door on the starboard side. C-46E a revised C-46D model with a single door and a stepped windscreen. C-46F a C-46E derivative with double doors and blunt wing tips. R5C-1 US Marine Corps counterpart to the C-46A. | Pay Load: 50 troops, or 33 litters plus four attendant or 10,000 lb of freight. |
| Principal User: Colombia, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, and USA |
Propulsion |
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Performance |
Power Plant: Pratt & Whitney R-2,800-51 radial piston engines. |
| Range: 3,150 miles. | Horsepower: 2,000-hp (1,491-kW) each |
| Max. Speed: 270 mph. | No. Of Engines: Two |
| Ceiling: 24,500 ft. | |
| Climb Rate: 1,300 ft per minutes. |