It was used primarily as a cargo aircraft during World War II, with fold-down seating for military transport and some use in delivering paratroops. Mainly deployed by the United States Army Air Forces, it also served the U.S. Navy / Marine Corps, which called it R5C.

The C-46 gained its greatest fame during WWII transporting war materials over the "Hump" from India to China after the Japanese had closed the Burma Road. C-46 flights on the treacherous air route over the Himalayas began in May 1943.

The Curtiss C-46 played a major, though oft-forgotten role in defeating Imperial Japan during WWII. The aircraft’s unique cargo-carrying capabilities and performance helped keep China in the war at a time when its collapse seemed imminent.

2024年8月19日 · Designed to compete with the Douglas DC-4 and Boeing 307 Stratoliner, the C-46 was intended for luxury passenger service, featuring a spacious cabin with potential sleeping berths. The onset of WWII shifted its role from a civilian airliner to a military transport aircraft.

The C-46 Commando was a twin-engine transport aircraft used primarily by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II and continued in service with the United States Air Force (USAF) and other air forces around the world post-war.

2019年4月8日 · During WWII Hump operations, a C-46 notched its first air combat victory when Captain Wally Gayda stuck a Browning Automatic Rifle out his cockpit window and emptied the entire magazine at an attacking Nakajima Ki.43 Oscar.

The C-46 Commando transports were lovingly nicknamed "the Whales" by their United States Army Air Force crew and were best known for flying "the Hump" over the Himalayas to deliver supplies into China during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

2018年5月21日 · The United States Air Force utilized the C-46 Commando series as their primary transport workhorse in the Pacific Theater of War during the Second World War. The system was initiated to replace the Douglas series of DC-3 transports and first appeared in prototype form in March of 1940 as the twin-rudder CW-20T.

The C-46’s military career didn’t end with World War Two. The United States used the C-46 (along with some other World War Two types) to fly missions during the Korean War and the CIA used it during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Still, age and wear have taken their toll, and there are only around a dozen Commandos still flying today.

The Curtiss C-46 Commando was a cargo and troop transport aircraft that was used by the United States during World War II. At the time, it was the largest twin engine aircraft in the world, being around 23.25 metres long and nearly 33 metres wide.