Design studies for the Curtiss-Wright Model CW-20, later to become the C-46, began in St. Louis in 1936 under the direction of Chief Engineer George Page. It was to be a new civil aircraft, following on the heels of the Boeing 247 and the Douglas DC-2. At this time the DC-3 was just entering service and the C-46 was eventually to give the venerable DC-3 some competition in certain transport categories. Compared to the DC-3, it had a 40% increase in passenger capacity, more than twice the cabin volume and an about a 45% increase in gross weight. While the CW-20/C-46 was designed to be pressurized, it was never used as such, but the attendant double-lobe fuselage design resulted in a greatly increased cabin volume. Largely because of this, the Army Air Corps adopted the CW-20 as its new cargo carrier, militarized as the C-46. Unfortunately, because of the limited design gross weight the full cabin space could not be utilized unless the cargo was of high volume with low weight density.
Originally the CW-20 had twin rudders and vertical stabilizers and a dihedral horizontal stabilizer. The prototype first flew on 26 March 1940; however, the follow-on design (CW-20B) went to a single rudder and straight horizontal stabilizer. In July 1940 the Army ordered 46 modified cargo versions of the CW-20B as C-46s which were built in the Buffalo plant. They were equipped with R-2800-43 engines, had four-bladed Curtiss electric propellers. The first of these was delivered in May 1942. The Model CW-20B was followed by the C-46A that had a stronger deck, a two-segment cargo door and more powerful R-2800-51 engines. The US Navy received 160 C-46s, designated as R5Cs, for use by the U.S. Marine Corps. As the tempo of the war increased the demand for C-46 type aircraft also increased. C-46As were built in Buffalo, Louisville, and at Higgins Industries in New Orleans. From Model C-46A-50 on, camouflage paint scheme was not used as a weight saving effort on many military aircraft. Other models that followed were the C46 C, D, E, G, H, J, K, and I, each model containing minor variations of the A, including three-bladed propellers, increased engine power, relocation of access doors, etc. The F had squared wingtips and had cargo doors on both sides (as with the Museum’s aircraft). A total of 166 C-46Fs were built in Buffalo before the contract was cancelled after VJ day.
The story of the C-46 is not complete without recognizing of the outstanding work that it did in the Second World War. It was used extensively in ferrying and transport operations across the South Atlantic and was teamed up with C-47s, C-54’s, converted B-24Ds, Boeing 314s and a few Boeing 307s. Probably the C-46’s best known mission was flying the "Hump" in which it had its real hour of glory. This operation began shortly after 8 May 1942 when the only route left for supplying aid to General Chiang Kai-Shek was over the eastern Himalayas from Dinjan to Kunming, a distance of 500 miles. Early in 1943, the problems of the "Hump" operation began to receive increased attention. The commanding officer of the India China Wing declared that the C-47 was unsuited to the tasks of the Hump and that C-46s and C-87s were required. The monsoon weather had brought with it thunderstorms, instrument weather, icing, and tricky wind currents compounding the problem. On 4 March 1943, General Arnold requested the replacement of the C-47s with C-46s. Unfortunately three problems developed with the C-46s -- vapor lock occurred at high altitudes, hydraulic boost for controls was erratic, and electric propeller governors corroded. The effect of these and other minor problems resulted in a total of 721 C-46 modifications, all of which happened at a critical time. Weather was the major problem, and Japanese fighter opposition also had to be reckoned with. By July 1945, 332 C-46s, C-54s, C-87s and C-109s were assigned to the Hump operation. A widely publicized incident may be recalled when on 2 August 1943 the noted CBS correspondent Eric Sevareid, along with crew and passengers baled out of a hump C-46 on a Hump flight over the hills of northern India, and were subsequently rescued. After VJ day, many of the C-46s in China and India were transferred to the Chinese Air Force, continuing in the cargo-and- personnel carrying operation well into the 1960s, and some beyond.
While the use of the C-46 in the China-Burma-India theater in the Second World War and in related operations was certainly the most important, the aircraft did see other service. A significant number of C-46s were assigned to the 8th Air Force in Europe. Troop Carrier Command received substantial number of C-46s and many remained in use for paratroop training after the war. The aircraft served US forces in all theaters of World War II, in the Korean War, and in early years of the Vietnam War. During World War II, the C-46 was occasionally referred to as the "Curtiss calamity." This was not altogether true even though it did have vapor lock and propeller pitch-control problems. The worst problem was the failure to maintain altitude on one engine. Subsequent improvements made the C-46 one of the most reliable military aircraft of World War II. A total of 3,182 C-46/R5C Commandos were delivered from 1942 to 1945.
When the war ended, Curtiss proposed civilian developments of the C-46 and Eastern Airlines ordered a number of CW-20Es. Eastern subsequently cancelled this order. The C-46 (CW-20) was principally used in the civilian world as a freighter. US airlines (designated as Supplemental Carriers in 1955) such as Capitol, Flying Tiger, Saturn, Zantop, and World were among those airlines that acquired C-46s. The first ATC for Curtiss Commandos was issued to the Flying Tiger Line for civil commercial use in April 1946.
The Museum’s C-46F, AF S/N 44-78772, Mfg. S/N 22595 Curtiss Wright Commando was delivered on 26 September 1943 to USAAF 4197th Base Unit, Greeville Field, Mississippi. The cost of the aircraft at that time was $233,000. It was transferred for storage to South Plains Field, Lubbock, Texas, on 12 February 1946. In April of that year it was transferred to 4,168th Base Unit at South Plains, then in August 1947 it went to the 4,141st Base Unit at Pyote, Texas. On 10 January 1950 reclamation was authorized and 44-78772/22595 was dropped from the USAF inventory. On 26 April 1951, it was sold for $13,000 to Flying Tiger Line Inc. at Pyote, Texas, and was issued FAA Registration N67996 on 15 May 1951. This marked the beginning of a new and lengthy career for the Museum’s C—46 Commando as a civil air cargo and passenger carrying aircraft.
While with Flying Tiger it was modified to carry passengers and the doors were modified from cargo and parachutist doors to passenger doors. In 1959 Flying Tiger sold Ser. No. 44-78772 to Zantop Air Transport Inc., whose name was changed to Universal Airlines in 1967. During this period Zantop/Universal had a number of military contracts to transport freight to military bases throughout the world. On Zantop’s request, the aircraft’s FAA Registration No. was changed in 1960 from N67996 to N614Z. It remained with Zantop/Universal until its sale to the Aviation Association of Georgia in March of 1968 and shortly thereafter was sold to Martin Air Leasing for $25,000. Remaining in the contract air cargo/passenger business, it passed through a number of owners in the next few years. These included International Aerodyne Inc., Trans Arctic Inc., (Fairbanks, Alaska), and Ilford-Riverton Airways (Canada) in January 1971. While in Canada its registration was changed to the Canadian CF-ZQX. In May 1974 it was sold to Fairbanks Air Service, whose name was changed to Great Northern Airlines in March 1976) and a new FAA Registration No., N800FA, was assigned, which it still retains to this date. C-46 Ser. No. 22595 was involved in an accident on 17 May 1975, while attempting to land on a frozen lake 100 miles southeast of Barrow, Alaska. It overran its landing area into the shoreline and suffered extensive damage. The aircraft was repaired and in May 1978 was sold to Coffee Point Fish Co. for $65,000. In April 1984 records indicate that it was sold to Atone Air Inc., El Paso, Texas, which apparently was the last owner before its acquisition by the Museum. While FAA aircraft history records list the aircraft as being sold on 6 December 1987, a new owner was not named. It can be assumed from other records however that N800FA, C-46 Ser. No. 22595 was not sold but it was seized by the US Government for allegedly smuggling guns, and ownership forfeited on or about 10 December 1987. Subsequently, on 31 August 1988, the aircraft was acquired by the Smithsonian, U.S. Marshall’s Office, Miami where it was in outdoor storage at Homestead Airport. It was then lent to the National Warplane Museum, New York, for the period September 7, 1988, to September 7, 1991. The aircraft was flyable at the time of loan by which time it had accumulated 30,487 total flight hours.
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