I am assisting my Grandfather Doug Stinnett with his profile. He is currently retired for the 3rd time, and living in Roswell, New Mexio with his wife Verlaine. My grandfather is a hero to many people, and has touched the lives of many. After Raising 4 children of his own, he took in 3 of his grandchildren, one of them being me. My father was sent to prison when I was 4y/o. My grandfather got off work the night my father was hauled away after working from 4:00a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and drove from Roswell, NM to Kansas City, Kansas. He only stopped for a 45 minute nap, food, and restroom breaks in fear of me being taken into State Custody. He also took in my twin cousins while his daughter was dying of cancer. Doug is now 73 years old. He is in pretty good health. He went to Missouri this last November to do some Deer hunting with my father. After retirung from the Air Force he drove Semi-Trucks hauling Oil for quite a few years. After that He began pumping gas at the air station in Roswell, N.M. It didn't take long before he was the Vice President of Great Southwest Aviation. ( If any one who views this profile knows him, please leave us a message. I will pass it on to him. He would love to hear from some of the guys who are still around. I am a Marine Corps Veteran and a member of Marine Together we served.)
Thanks for Viewing,
Steve Stinnett
1949-1971, C-46 Commando
From Year 1949
To Year 1971
Personal Memories
Not Specified
Image
C-46 Commando Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was an American transport aircraft originally designed for commercial use although it was primarily used during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces; the Navy/Marine Corps version was known as the R5C. Also known to the men who flew them as "The Whale," or even more irreverently as the "Curtiss Calamity," [2] the C-46 served a similar role as its counterpart, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, but was not quite as famous or as extensively produced.
Postwar, C-46s were briefly used in their original role as passenger airliners, but the glut of surplus C-47s dominated the marketplace with the C-46 soon relegated to a secondary status. However, the C-46 was adopted as a rugged cargo aircraft for northern and remote locations with its service life extended into the 21st Century.
Model Curtiss-Wright C-46A Commando Length 76.44 ft | 23.30 m Width 78.54 ft | 23.94 m Height 21.75 ft | 6.63 m Engine(s) 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-51 Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial engines generating 2,000hp of thrust each. Empty Weight 30,001 lbs | 13,608 kg MTOW 55,997 lbs | 25,400 kg Max Speed 269 mph | 433 km/h | 234 kts Max Range 1,199 miles | 1,930 km Ceiling 27,559 ft | 8,400 m | 5.2 miles Climb Rate Not Available Hardpoints 0 Armament None. Accommodations 4 Operators the United States of America
