Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian airliner, the Douglas DC-4.
- After World War II, the C-54 continued to serve with the USAF and other military and civilian operators around the world.
- Over the years, many aircraft disappearances have baffled the world of avation.
- 162 were built at Santa Monica, of which 13 went to the Navy as the R5D-5.
- Between April and June 1942 the military air transportation system underwent a major overhaul as existing air transportation units were turned into troop-carrying organizations and a new Air Transport Command was established, using the headquarters for the prewar Air Corps Ferrying Command.
- The Douglas transports were very reliable—only three would be lost at sea during the entire war, and one of those was an intentional ditching.
The Engines of the C-54 Skymaster
His rationale was that the C-54 was a safer airplane and its use would drastically reduce the accident rate on the Hump airlift. In short, the capture of Myitkyina led to the attaining of air superiority over Burma—and opened the door for the introduction of the C-54 to the Hump airlift. Army provisional force under the command of Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill began an unannounced and initially unheralded walk into northern Burma.
- The Pratt & Whitney engines allowed the Skymaster to fly over the most hostile terrains and weather conditions, showcasing its impressive resilience and power.
- Navy service (C-54Q, BuNo 56501, of the Navy Test Pilot School, NAS Patuxent River) was retired on 2 April 1974.
- Although the attack had severely damaged the aircraft, necessitating the shutdown of engines number three and four, the pilot in command of the aircraft managed to carry out a safe emergency landing at Tempelhof Airport.
- The first C-54 to operate over the Pacific was an airplane that had been drawn off of the Atlantic route for a special airlift of B-24 stabilizers to Australia in response to an urgent requirement.
- The newly established need for long-range transports became so great that when the Army received its first Consolidated B-24 Liberators 11 were converted into transports even though the type had been developed to fill a requirement for a long-range bomber to replace the Boeing B-17.
- Under the hood, the Skymaster boasted four Pratt & Whitney R-2000 radial engines, each generating 1,450 horsepower.
- The pilot was able to ditch the aircraft, and whilst ten people on board were killed as a result of the attack, another nine were rescued by a USAF Grumman HU-16 Albatross Air-Sea Rescue plane.
The Skymaster’s Role in the War: Air Evacuation and VIP Transport
The Douglas transport had also captured the attention of high-ranking officers in the War and Navy Departments, and several C-54s were assigned to provide transport for VIPs. Shortly after the capture of Myitkyina, Brig. Gen. William H. Tunner arrived in India to take command of the India-China Wing of the ATC. Since some of the mountains overlooking the Assam reached well above 20,000 feet, C-54 operations had been ruled out. Even more important, the capture of the airfield deprived the Japanese of an advance fighter base from which they could threaten the Hump routes and also could serve as a base for American fighters. The capture of Myitkyina was undoubtedly the most fortuitous event of the war in the CBI Theater for the Allies.
Filling the Need For a Four-Engine Transport
These aircraft were known as the North Star in RCAF service. Early aircraft had the -3 engines, later production had the -7. The C-54A was a fully militarized version of the DC-4, with a reinforced cargo floor, a large (2.38m by 1.7m) cargo door and built-in cargo loading hoist. The C-54 returned to combat during the Korean War, at first evacuating 851 American civilians from South Korean, and then as a transport and casualty evacuation aircraft. After necessary testing, the aircraft entered service as DC-6.
Crashed in Nevada, United States (
Over the next five years Air Transport Command Skymasters made 79,642 transoceanic flights, with only two forced ditching. The first C-54 Skymaster entered USAAF service on 20 March 1942, and by the end of the year enough had been delivered to begin to make a real impact. The resulting DC-4 had a circular fuselage, was powered by four engines, and used a tricycle undercarriage. The first had been judged to be too complex by the airlines, and in 1939 American, Eastern and United Air Lines got together with Douglas to draw up the specifications for a simpler machine.
They managed to walk through several hundred miles of jungle and rough terrain and then captured the airfield in August, after almost six months in the field. Since it had been designed for airline use where it would receive regular maintenance, the C-54 suffered greatly from mechanical problems when it was operated under austere conditions such as those existing on the India-China ferry. The high altitudes required for the Hump fliers precluded the assignment of the C-54 to operations into China at the time. By 1943 the towering Himalayas were a frequent sight for ATC crews on their way to and from airfields in eastern India. Although the airplane was maniacasino easy to fly and reliable, its high-altitude performance was limited.