The C-46 was developed from the new and unproven commercial aircraft design, the CW-20, which first flew in March 1940. Deliveries of the AAF C-46s began in July 1942 for the Air Transport Command and Troop Carrier Command. During WW II, the AAF accepted 3,144 C-46s for hauling cargo and personnel and for towing gliders. Of this total, 1,410 were C-46Ds. The C-46 gained its greatest fame during WW II 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 Commando carried more cargo than the famous C-47 and offered better performance at higher altitudes, but under these difficult flying conditions, C-46s required extensive maintenance and had a relatively high loss rate. In Europe, C-46s dropped paratroopers during the aerial crossing of the Rhine River near Wesel in March 1945. C-46s saw additional service during the Korean War.

The C-46D on display is painted as a C-46 flying the Hump in 1944. This aircraft was retired from USAF service in Panama in 1968 and was flown to the Museum in 1972.

SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 108 ft. 0 in.
Length: 76 ft. 4 in.
Height: 22 ft. 0 in.
Weight: 51,000 lbs. max.
Armament: None
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800s of 2,000 hp ea.
Cost: $233,000
Serial Number: 44-78018
C/N: 33414

PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 245 mph.
Cruising speed: 175 mph.
Range: 1,200 miles
Service Ceiling: 27,600 ft.