Why no RAF Curtiss C-46's?

I am sure I have seen Seaboard and Western (later Seaboard World) C-46’s at Heathrow in the early 60’s, doing freight runs for ???? I seem to remember a lot of blue smoke issueing from the engines during taxying !
This quote from the Seaboard website.

The Curtiss-Wright C-46 “Commando” was based primarily in Europe, and served as a feeder aircraft connecting Seaboard’s main European stations with smaller, outlying cities. The company operated a number of Commandos over two decades of service, but never more than two at a time.

This photo also from same website.

Keith.

hi,
mention of the Packet,made me wonder,so dug out file of thread bare
note-books,and logged on 26/3/66 at LAP,

N9890Z- c/n 33111
N9893Z- c/n 32970

noted of Capital Airlines.

regards

Jack…

hi,
i seem to remember seeing 2 or 3 C.46,s in/out of Heathrow,in the early
60,s can,t remember reg,s or company( try and find log,s) but i was told
they transported engines around Europe for i think one of the U.S airlines.

regards

jack…

Any chance you’re thinking of a C-82 Packet?
TWA had one in Europe for the mission you describe.

One of them was N9893Z used by Lufthansa. I’ve also got a vague idea that TWA were involved as well. Somewhere I’ve got a rather poor picture of it at Heathrow from about 1966/7, which I’ll try to dig it up later.
Come to think of it, it’s probably the only time I’ve ever seen one.

hi,
i seem to remember seeing 2 or 3 C.46,s in/out of Heathrow,in the early
60,s can,t remember reg,s or company( try and find log,s) but i was told
they transported engines around Europe for i think one of the U.S airlines.

regards

jack…

Not cleared by A&AEE for RAF for same reason never certificated civil by ARB or any civilised Authority: engine out on take off, loaded, = lethal. Sweden (Tor-Air/Transair)/ Norway (Fred Olsen) just endorsed FAA; AF/LH, leasing Capitol’s in the 1960s, kept them on N-reg.

Good point.
I worked at Southend airport in the 50s and two C-46 were used by a Swedish company to fly German, Solingen steel tools to the UK.
I was ‘reliably’ informed that they were hopeless with one engine out.

engine out on take off, loaded, = lethal.

Hi AK
To be fair to the C46,that statement would probably apply to most twin engine a/c in the 30’s/40’s !!
From memory I think the C46 was a bit of a handfull (or was it Boot-full ?? :D) during Landing/Take off.Perhaps A&AEE thought the circuit handling was a bit ‘iffy’,would be interesting to find out how many were damaged during landing accidents etc,I think she was a bit of a ‘Swinger’.
The C46 could carry quite a load and perhaps this alone made the engine out case even worse than other a/c.

cheers baz

Not cleared by A&AEE for RAF for same reason never certificated civil by ARB or any civilised Authority: engine out on take off, loaded, = lethal. Sweden (Tor-Air/Transair)/ Norway (Fred Olsen) just endorsed FAA; AF/LH, leasing Capitol’s in the 1960s, kept them on N-reg.

Hi

I knew about the CW20 (actually we made it in 1/72) but I didn’t know about the two C46 (44-77624 & 44-77627) used for parachuting trials.

Did they carried RAF markings? Is there any photo available of at least one of these C46?.

Many thanks in advance

Cheers
Santiago

The Airborne Forces Flight in the Far East also borrowed a C-46 for a couple of trial, but none were taken on RAF charge.

There were two C46 (44-77624 & 44-77627) used for parachuting trials during 1945 at AFEE using British kit. These two photos show 6 CLE containers (the same load as a Dak would carry) rigged for drop on one of the C46.
[ATTACH][ATTACH]167410[/ATTACH][/ATTACH]
By the late war period the UK Airborne Forces were fully capable of being dropped from US aircraft, a situation that continued into the 1950s and to a much lesser extent after that.

Of all the various aircraft produced in the USA during World War II, most entered service with the RAF and/or FAA either through Lend-lease or direct purchase. However, the Curtiss C-46 Commando did not, despite a production run of over 3,000. Does anyone know the reason/s behind this?

Granted, there were a few other US aircraft, such as the Ryan PT-22, which also never served in the RAF/FAA, but why no C-46’s? IMHO, the C-46 Commando could have been of great use in the Far East.

Incidentally, BOAC purchased the Curtiss CW-20 prototype, but this was withdrawn early on due to a lack of spares.

Regards,

Jan

The C46’s were very useful on the “Hump” flights over the Himalayas/

Cheers

Cees