The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a two-engined transport aircraft, with a
basic flight crew of four and various combinations of freight and
passengers. Main compartment can accomodate up to of 50 passengers or as
all freighter 6.800 kg cargo. The Curtiss C-46A
had a cargo door installed in the fuselage; the floor was strengthened and folding seats were installed along the walls.
Development of the Curtiss C-46 started in 1937. That year,
Curtiss-Wright Corporation began design work on an all-metal twin engine
airliner with twin-tail fin, capable of carrying 36 passengers in a
pressurized cabin, as there arose a desire for a passenger transport
that would offer a higher degree of luxury and comfort. The prototype,
designated the CW-20, was powered by two Wright R-2600 engines and was
first flown on 6 March 1940. After the first test flight of the CW-20 in
St. Louis, the United States Army Air Corps placed an order for 25
military cargo versions of the aircraft with an increased gross weight
and designated it the C-46. The C-46 differed from the CW-20 not only by
a single fin and fewer windows; it was powered by two Pratt and Withney
R2800 engines and the pressurized cabin system was removed, which
changes resulted in an increasing of the gross weight from 40,000 lbs
for the CW-20 model to 50,675 lbs for the C-46. By July of 1942, the
first re-designated C-46 rolled out of the factory in Buffalo, NY,
USA, being the first of a total of 3180 C-46s built as military
transport in the period 1942-1945. The C-46 Commando, also known under
the nicknames"The Whale" and "Curtiss Calamity", was the largest two
engine plane that was operational in World War II and entered service
during in World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as
the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C. Principal versions
built were the Curtiss C-46 (25); C-46A (1491); C-46XC (2); C-46D
(1410); C-46E (17); C-46F (234); C-46G (1) and Curtiss R5C-1 (160
built). The prototype CW-20 passenger liner, redesignated C-55, was
transferred to Great Britain under Lend-Lease and registered G-AGID with
British Overseas Airways Corporation on 24 September 1941. In
B.O.A.C.-services the CW-20 became the "Spirit of St. Louis". After the war, Curtiss tried to
launch a new passenger transport version of the Commando, but with thousands of surplus transports on the market, this
project never stood any real chance of success. In fact, even civil C-46 passenger
conversions failed to attract orders and the Commando was most often,
and successful, used as a freighter.
Fred Olsens Flyselskap A/S, Oslo, purchased three Curtiss C-46A Commandos:
LN-FOP (s/n 27049, registered on 25 March 1958); LN-FOR (s/n 30249, registered
on 19 October 1957) and LN-FOS (s/n 30254, registered on 18 December 1957). All three
aircraft were still active with Fred Olsens in the early seventies, when
in the summer of 1970, a C-46A was stationed at Rotterdam "Zestienhoven"
for the daily transport of newspapers to Barcelona for the Spanish
holiday resorts. During the period from 22 July / 25 August 1970, during
the strikes in British harbours, two of the Fred Olsens C-46A Commando's
(LN-FOR and LN-FOS) were stationed at Rotterdam-Zestienhoven to carry
out ad hoc cargo flights from / to the UK. In that period, flights were
operated to Southend, Manston, Stansted, Newcastle and Birmingham.
Curtiss C-46A-45-CU c/n 30257 started its carrier in World War II as
42-96595 in service with the United States Army Air Forces. On 9 April
1956, the C-46A entered the civil US-register as N9888F with
Sunday and Co. In October 1956, the aircraft was registered with Boreas
Corp. and converted to a C-46R with two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34 Double
Wasp 18-cylinder radial piston engines driving Hamilton Standard propellers.
On 27 November 1957, the aircraft was temporarely registered LN-FOS with Fred
Olsens and delivered to Norway. On 18 December 1957, the aircraft was registered
LN-FOS with Fred Olsens Flyselskap A/S, Oslo. After Fred Olsens Flyselskap A/S had
sold it's C-46 aircraft LN-FOP; LN-FOR and LN-FOS to Continental Air Services in Laos,
the three Commandos left Oslo on 29 June 1971 on delivery to Laos via Munich. On 14
July 1971, registration LN-FOS was cancelled. In service with Continental Air Services
Inc., the Curtiss C-46R was registered XW-PHN and re-registered N337CA in July 1974.
Continental Air Services provided airlift services throughout Lao; Vietnam; Canbodia;
Thailand and Singapore to construction and mining companies as well as USAID and
other humanitarian agencies. Although its head offices were in Los Angeles, its
operations base in Southeast Asia was in Udon Thani Thailand. After the N337CA was
sold by Continental Air Services in 1976, the aircraft remained active in Southeast
Asia with a number of operators until the airframe was withdrawn from use and broken
up at Seletar, Singapore, at the end of the seventies. On 4 August 1970, Fred Olsens' Curtiss C-46A LN-FOS was seen at
Rotterdam Airport "Zestienhoven" waiting for freight during the strikes in the British harbours.
Luchtvaart déjà vu
