CURTISS C-46 "COMMANDO"

     The C-46 "Commando" was based on the CW-20 commercial airliner first flown on in March, 1940. The CW-20 was concieved as a competitor to the Douglas DC-3, and was to have advanced features such as a pressureized cabin. With a wing span of 108 feet (only two feet shorter than the Consolidated B-24 "Liberator" bomber), it was the largest twin engine transport used by the USAAF. It's sheer size and power allowed it to carry a far greater load than could the more famous C-47, a fact not lost on the USAAF's Air Transport and Troop Carrier commands, which accepted 3,144 "Commandos" for hauling cargo, and personnel, and for towing gliders. The C-46 saw its greatest use in the CBI flying the infamous "Hump" route between India and China. Its ability to fly higher, faster and farther while carrying a greater load gained it its fame. Unfortunately, the treacherous weather encountered while flying "The Hump", coupled with maintenance problems associated with its advanced design, resulted in a relatively heavy loss rate, giving the C-46 a reputation as a dangerous ship to fly. The huge size of the aircraft, along with its somewhat unusual feselage shape gained it the nick name of "The Whale" for its resemblance to a whale. Maintenance crews, gave it the less affectionate nicname "Plumber's Nightmare" due to the complexity of the hydraulic systems that operated the control surfaces as well as brakes and landing gear.

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