Aircraft · United States · 1942-1945
Curtiss C-46 Commando
transport aircraft
Larger and higher-flying than the ubiquitous C-47, the Commando became the workhorse of the airlift over 'the Hump' — the eastern Himalayas — carrying fuel, ammunition and supplies from India to China after the Burma Road was cut. Crews flew it through some of the worst flying weather on earth, and wreckage of lost Commandos along the route became known grimly as the 'aluminum trail'.
| crew | 4 |
|---|---|
| top speed | 435 km/h |
| capacity | 40 troops or 4.5 tons cargo |
| produced | 3,181 |
China, Burma and India, Pacific
