Warbird Information Exchange

Why did the Air Force scrap most of its C-46s while it continued to operate the older and smaller C-47s? Most of the C-46 fleet was gone or sold off to friendly powers by 1948.
Was the plane too big or too quirky? I know it had a bad reputation for being a burning torch if hit by gun fire and the guys flying the Hump didn't like it, but...
I am surprised the government did not sell more to the airlines, etc. in the 1940s.
Any ideas?

I don't know if this is factual, but a friend who flew C-46s in Central America in the 1940s and 50s, said that the reason the C-46 was not a commercial success in the USA (unlike the DC-3 / C-47) was because it did not have firewalls, and it was risky to operate it that way.

Although capable of hauling more cargo, and being faster than the C-47,the CAA (FAA) did not approve it for commercial (passenger or cargo?) use.

Is this true? Could this be the reason why?


Saludos,


Tulio

_________________
Why take the best part of life out of your life, when you can have life with the best part of your life in your life?

I am one of them 'futbol' people.

Will the previous owner has pics of this double cabin sample

GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Press "1" for English.
Press "2" to disconnect until you have learned to speak English.

Sooooo, how am I going to know to press 1 or 2, if I do not speak English????

Umm, dunno about the lower 48, but the C-46 is still flying commercially in the Northern reaches. Also note the ones below:

http://www.photovault.com/Link/Technolo ... CW-20.html

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Bob

I may be missing something, but were C-46s ever used for civil airline level passenger transport in the USA?

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James K

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Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

some....



considering the fact that the C-46, although derived from a commercial airliner project, solely was built as a cargo a/c, the conversion to pax configuration postwar was a tad more complicated (starting with adding pax windows - an item already in situ on C-47's) - the ongoing use as cargo plane was logical.

Martin

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Flying is easy: just learn how to throw yourself at the ground and miss

From what I've read the -46 had a higher fuel consumption than the -47 which is why most airlines didn't want it.

It had bigger engines, but that allowed higher speeds. The part that is overlooked is the cost per mile.
Many more C-47s/DC-3s were built. They had been in service before the war and had a great reputation.
Fewer C-46s were produced. They soldiered on for many years and a few are still being used.
Our CIA ran Inter Mountain Airlines, which used the C-46 all over the world from a base in Marana, AZ until they were forced out of business. That was late 60's or early 70s.
Rich

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Rich Palmer

Remember an Injured Youth
benstear.org
#64- Stay Strong and Keep the Faith

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The 605th Air Commandos were using C-46s, T-28, C-47 and other birds to train Latin American Air Forces in Counter-Insurgency ops. in the early to middle sixties. They were based at Howard Air Force Base, Panama.