Current/Last Primary AFSC/MOS
AAF MOS 1051-Pilot - Two-Engine
Current/Last AFSC Group
Pilot (Officer)
Service Years
1942 - 1946
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Remembrance Profiles -
1 Airman Remembered
Barrett, James, 2nd Lt
1945-1946, C-46 Commando
From Year 1945
To Year 1946
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
