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Description
| Manufacturer: | Curtiss |
| |
| Base model: | R5C | ||
| Designation: | R5C | ||
| Version: | -1 | ||
| Nickname: | Commando | ||
| Equivalent to: | C-46A C46AC-46A | ||
| Designation System: | U.S. Navy / Marines | ||
| Designation Period: | 1931-1962 | ||
| Basic role: | Transport |
Specifications
| Length: | 76' 4" | 23.2 m | |
| Height: | 22' | 6.7 m | |
| Wingspan: | 108' 1" | 32.9 m | |
| Wingarea: | 1,360.0 sq ft | 126.3 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 32,400 lb | 14,693 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 56,000 lb | 25,396 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Pratt & Whitney R-2800-51 | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 2000 | ||
Performance
| Range: | 1,200 miles | 1,932 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 183 mph | 294 km/h | 158 kt |
| Max Speed: | 269 mph | 433 km/h | 234 kt |
| Climb: | 1,300 ft/min | 396 m/min | |
| Ceiling: | 27,600 ft | 8,412 m | |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| National Museum of Naval Aviation | NAS Pensacola | Florida |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Jim bignell Atherstoe, TX | I have just reached page 173 in Samuel Hynes wonderful aviation book \"Flights of Passage\" where he mentions Tyrone Power landing a R5C on a short strip, on a small Pacific island in a strong cross wind. I found from your site that the aircraft was a Curtis Commando,which I had seen as a child in the UK. I had to select a US state to get the email to go 04/19/2012 @ 09:01 [ref: 55816] |
| Joseph Lawler Wesley Chapel Fl./ 33545, FL | I am reading my father's flight log for October 1951 to Jan 1952. He flew R5C-1/50703 and 39574 and 50698 out of VMR-252 at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. He was Capt. Keith F. Lawler Sr. USMC/Naval Air. Started as a flight instructor in Pensacola. Hope someone out there read this...I wonder if these planes are still around. Joe Lawler 08/09/2011 @ 08:04 [ref: 45909] |
| Rob Rodgers Plano, TX | This is for Ron Hevron. My neighbor was the co-piolet on that R5C-1. He said it was his policy that his crew chief kept all the parachutes inspected and to instruct all passengers on their use. He said just after take off from Dallas Naval Air Station they were still climbing under full power when they heard an explosion. The crash investigation concluded that the exhuast manifold developed a crack and hot exhaust blew a hole in the oil cooler. Burning oil went into the wheel which caused the tire to blow. That took out a couple of the cylinders on the twin rotary engine. After that the engine came off the aircraft and he remembers seeing it fly out in front of them. They were still trying to climb with its good engine on the port side at full power but the aicraft was loosing 1800 feet per minute. They were only at 800'-900'so that doesn't give you much time. He said when he bailed out his parachute swung one time and he hit the ground. There were 21-22 people on board. All but two were injured. He didn't get a scratch. Two died, one when his parachute draged him into a barbed wire fence and slit his throat and the other landed the street and his head hit the curb. My neighbor is a Marine Col. pilot of WWll and Koera. He retired from the Marines and went to work for TI as Director of Flight Operations and retired from there around 1978. He has a 400 acre ranch North of Dallas. He still is doing great for a guy 84 years old. Rob 06/06/2007 @ 09:17 [ref: 16763] |
| Sharon Moore Colquhoun Yardville, NJ | My dad was part of the Third Marine AirWing, flying in the South Pacific in 1944 and 1945. According to his flight log, he was flying in the following R5C-1's:
39507, 39521,39539,39564,39580, and 39694 50691, 50695 50719, 50723, 50726 and 50727 In fact, he was flying in the 50729 when he found out that I had been born, back home in Trenton NJ. He was a part of USMC VMR-352 from its creation in 1942 until he was discharged in December of 1945. 09/27/2006 @ 07:46 [ref: 14298] |
| Sharon Moore Colquhoun Yardville, NJ | My dad was part of the Third Marine AirWing, flying in the South Pacific in 1944 and 1945. According to his flight log, he was flying in the following R5C-1's:
39507, 39521,39539,39564,39580, and 39694 50691, 50695 50719, 50723, 50726 and 50727 In fact, he was flying in the 50729 when he found out that I had been born, back home in Trenton NJ. 09/27/2006 @ 07:43 [ref: 14296] |
| Ron Hevron Farmersville, TX | On March 18,1952 @ 3:45 pm when I was walking home from school,(Dallas Tx.)I looked up right over my head was C-46 with the port engine on fire,he circled to the east, about that time I saw a firey ball fall from the plane.
The pilot was trying to make it back to vacant field. He did get it back to the field before it crashed and while he was making his turn I saw about 3-4 chutes open. I will always wonder what happened to the crew. I called the Dallas Library and got the info when it crashed,and they said I would have to come to the library to get a copy of the article. They said that there were 2 deaths. I was wondering if any of the crew or pax was still around? Being 14 yrs.old that was quite a sight for me,being a aviation buff that I am. 07/10/2004 @ 15:04 [ref: 7798] |
| Ron Hevron Farmersville, TX | On March 18,1952 @ 3:45 pm when I was walking home from school,I looked up right over my head was C-46 with the port engine on fire,he circled to the east, about that time I saw a firey ball fall from the plane.
The pilot was trying to make it back to vacant field. He did get it back to the field before it crashed and while he was making his turn I saw about 3-4 chutes open. I will always wonder what happened to the crew. I called the Dallas Library and got the info when it crashed,and they said I would have to come to the library to get a copy of the article. They said that there were 2 deaths. I was wondering if any of the crew or pax was still around? Being 14 yrs.old that was quite a sight for me,being a aviation buff that I am. 07/10/2004 @ 15:04 [ref: 7797] |
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