The Douglas C-47 won all the fame and is perhaps the most pleasing to the eye, but which one of them was really the best transport plane ? I don´t have access to all my books right now, but I seem to recall that the C-46 had better range and speed, and could carry at least the same payload as the C-47. But also that it was declared obsolete by the USAF well before the C-47.
C-46 Curtiss Commando: Max Speed = 269 mph Cruise Speed = 183mph Ceiling 27,600 feet Range = 1,200 miles Weight Empty = 32,400 lbs Max Takeoff weight = 56,000 lbs Cargo = 2,755 cubic feet, 16,000 lbs C-47 Douglas Skytrain/Dakota Max Speed = 229 mph Cruise Speed = 185 mph Ceiling = 23,200 feet Range = 1,500 miles Weight empty = 16,970 lbs Max Takeoff Weight = 26,000 lbs Maximum Cargo load = 6000 lbs The C-46 had better cargo volume capacity and weight carrying capacity. It also had better high altitude performance, important on the hump runs. The C-46 also had severe designa nd quality problems, including leaking, freezing fuel lines and hydraulics. It was not as fuel efficiinet as the C-47 and apparently was not as easy to fly.
I remember reading somewhere (Max Hastings Armageddon I think) that one of the US Airborne Division commanders ordered C46's never to be used again by his forces following one mission as so many ended up going down in flames.
The C-47 also had the advantage of being an actual civilian transport/airliner before and after the war. Douglas had time to perfect the design rather than go from the drawing board to combat trials.
The only mistake in C-46 construction was lousy fuel wapors drenage system in the wings ( there was none). Some C-46 were lost during the war becouse of this, but reasons for these losses were not investigated properly. Problems with losses of C-46 due to the fire, was put down on cargo ( ussualy ammunition, fuel etc.). After the war this was investigated and all civilian and military C-46's had this corrected. It was used extensively in SE Asia ( Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam) as ''civilian'' transport ( Air America and assotiated companys ) and in South America. A lot of them are still used in South America. It was ideal for conditions were C-47 were not as good ( i.e. Hot & High). Becouse of this most of them were asigned to CBI theatre of war especialy on the HUMP runs. It was HUGE plane comparing to C-47. As far as i know they were used in Europe as para-drop plane only in Rhein crossing. C-47 had a huge head start as a lot of them were built before the war and were pressed into military service. It was also a huge export sucess for Douglas before the war. When the war started US, UK and SSSR military needed a huge numbers of transports and they needed them at once. Douglas only needed to expand production. It was also easyer for production and maintenance, could also use diffrent engines ( like Cyclone) etc. C-47 was also produced under licence in SSSR as Lisunov Li-2 ( used for transport, para-drops, night bomber, liason and staff plane)
The Japanese also had a version of the C-47, which was given the Allied code name "Tabby". Nishizawa, Japan's greatest fighter ace in WW2, was killed while flying one of these aircraft.
Yes. L2D was superior to C-47 becouse Japanese used better engines. First planes were identical to US planes. They also produced some examples all wood version of this plane. Russians on the other hand were quite happy with their versions of Cyclone engine ( M-25V, M-62 and M-63) The latter two beeing superior to US built Cyclone. Soviet Li-2 is definetly the coolest of DC-3 versions. Some were equiped with MV turret on the fuselage and two ShKAS machine guns in rear fuselage ( where C-47 had toilet) plus some had bomb racks. They also had best looking cammo schemes. http://aviagal.narod.ru/art/index_art.html Fifth and sixth link on left side ( if you don't know how to read Russian)
best C_47 ever if you want to see perhaps the best C-47 ever go to Idaho and visit the smokejumper base there. they have rebuilt C-47s with turboprop engines. they just love them and the long skinny cowelings look racy. the only thing wrong is they go woosh instead of the old radial sounds i love. not too far away is a waterbomber base. odd things there. C-119 with a jet mounted on the roof for one. if you ever get to the area both are worth a visit.
There is one C47 near my town. I sometimes go there and just look at it and think about crew, how was it for the guys in there and so on.
AHHHHHHHH. Doesn't it looks good now, after they painted it in new colours. It looked redicolous before that ( grey and yellow zinc-cromate- BLJACK). One of my friends made numerous coppies of pic's of C-47's that flew in support of Slovene partisans and are in Muzej novejše zgodovine in Ljubljana. Ha also made some colour profiles of allied C-47's that supplied partisans in Slovenia. Which reminds me: Does someone have pics of C-47's that belonged to Sokolov group ( VVS flying from Italy in support of YU partisans)?
