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Curtiss C-46 Commando

Variant Details

1942 military subtype, essentially the pre-production version of the Commando.

25 Commandos produced for the USAAF

Variant Details

The "straight" C-46 was a batch of pre-production Commandos completed to initial specifications. They descended directly from the C-55 prototype, albeit with a few modifications:

  • More modern and powerful 2,000-hp "B" Series Pratt & Whitney R-2800-43 replaced the 1,850-hp "A" Series R-2800-5;
  • Unpressurized cabin;
  • Less cabin windows;
  • No fairing plates between the two fuselage bulbs, saving 275 lbs in weight at no cost to performance.

The C-46 was operationally tested with various airlines, which operated them on Air Transport Command routes, before turning them over to the military.

Last edited: 01/12/2020