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5050 Santa Fe Drive • Atwater, California • 95301
Curtiss C-46D Commando
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is best remembered for its use during World War II when it was instrumental in supplying friendly forces in the China, India, and Burma theaters. It could carry more payload and had better high altitude performance than the C-47. Even so, due to the harsh conditions over the Himalayas and maintenance problems because of the remote location of their bases, the loss rate was high. Three C-46 groups - about 250 aircraft - were also assigned to the 5th Air Force in the Pacific. C-46A, D and F models were used in Korea and a few were used in the early days of the Vietnam conflict. The last Air Force C-46 was retired in 1969.
Each mission over the Himalayan Mountains was called "Flying the Hump", and each time a C-46 would carry 40 passengers or 12,000 pounds of cargo. Each time an aircraft flew the Hump, its ground crew would paint a camel on its side to designate the mission.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Canadian airline Lamb Air operated several C-46s from their bases in Thompson and Churchill, Manitoba. Two C-46s of different vintages still operate as freighters for First Nations Transportation in Gimli, Manitoba. Buffalo Airways also owns and operates two C-46s, primarily used in Canada's Arctic. Their planes have been featured on the Ice Pilots NWT television show.
The aircraft on display at Castle Air Museum has 35 camels on its side designating 35 missions over the Hump. It served with the Air Force Reserve after World War II, and finally served in Japan both with the U.S. and Japanese armed forces. It was flown back to the U.S. in 1970 and later was donated to the Museum in 1983. Many were flown by civilian cargo carriers after World War II and a few are still in service today.
Specifications
Country of Origin:
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United States
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Manufacturer:
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Curtiss-Wright Corporation
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Role/Function:
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Cargo/Transport
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Serial Number:
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44-77575
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Model Number/Mk #:
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CW-20B-2
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Crew:
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4 + 50 troops or 33 litters with 4 attendants or 15,000 lbs. of cargo.
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Power Plant:
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2 - 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-51 Double Wasp engines.
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Maximum Speed:
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269 mph.
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Cruising Speed:
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193 mph.
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Service Ceiling:
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27,600 ft.
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Range:
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1,200 mi.
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Weights:
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Empty: n/a Maximum: 56,000 lbs
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Wing Span:
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108 ft. 1 in.
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Length:
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76 ft. 4 in.
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Height:
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21 ft. 9 in.
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Wing Area:
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1,360 ft² (126.8 m²)
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Armament:
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None.
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Cost:
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n/a
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Number Built:
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D-Variants: 1,610 Total Production: 3,200
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# in Current Service:
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Although their numbers gradually began to dwindle, C-46s continued to operate in remote locations, and could be seen in service from Canada and Alaska to Africa and South America.
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MUSEUM HOURS
April 1- September 30
9:00am - 5:00pm
October 1 - March 31
10:00am - 4:00pm
The museum is open
daily year round (weather permitting),
except for the
following days:
New Year's Day,
Easter,
Thanksgiving and
Christmas Day.
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