Curtiss C-46 Commando - Variants

Variants

CW-20

Original passenger airliner design.

CW-20T

The original passenger airliner prototype, fitted with a dihedralled tailplane and endplate vertical tail fins, powered by two 1,700 hp (1,268 kW) Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone radial piston engines.

CW-20A

Company designation of the C-55.

CW-20B

Company designation of the C-46A.

CW-20B-1

Company designation of the XC-46B.

CW-20B-2

Company designation of the C-46D.

CW-20B-3

Company designation of the C-46E.

CW-20B-4

Company designation of the C-46F.

CW-20B-5

Company designation of the C-46G.

CW-20E

Company designation of the AC-46K.

CW-20G

Company designation of the XC-46C.

CW-20H

Company designation of the XC-46L.

C-55

Modification to the original CW-20T prototype, tail redesigned with a large single vertical tail-fin and rudder, and a horizontal tailplane with no dihedral and other improvements, including a change to Pratt & Whitney R-2800-5 radial engine. It was used as a C-46 military transport prototype aircraft, also designated XC-46. Later sold to BOAC

C-46 Commando

Twin engined military transport aircraft, powered by two 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-43 radial piston engines.

C-46A Commando

Twin-engined military transport aircraft, powered by two 2,000 hp (1,419 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-51 radial piston engines, fitted with a large cargo door on the port side of the fuselage, equipped with strengthened cargo floor, a hydraulic winch and folding seats for up to 40 troops.

CX-46B Commando

One C-46A was converted into a test aircraft to evaluate a stepped windscreen design, it was powered by two 2,100 hp (1,567 kW) H-2800-34W radial piston engines.

XC-46C Commando

Later redesignated XC-113.

C-46D Commando

Twin-engined personnel, paratroop transport aircraft, fitted with an extra door on the port side; 1,610 built.

C-46E Commando

Twin-engined utility transport aircraft, equipped with a large cargo door on the port side of the fuselage, fitted with a stepped windscreen; 17 built.

C-46F Commando

Twin-engined cargo transport aircraft, equipped with cargo doors on both sides of the fuselage, fitted with square cut wingtips; 234 built.

C-46G Commando

This one-off aircraft was fitted with a stepped windscreen and square wingtips, one built.

C-46H

C-46J

AC-46K Commando

Unbuilt version, intended to be powered by two 2,500 hp (1865-kW) Wright R-3350-BD radial piston engines.

XC-46K

XC-46L

In 1945 three C-46s were fitted with Wright R-3350 radial piston engines.

XC-113

Engine change: One C-46G was converted into an engine testbed, the aircraft was fitted with a General Electric T31 turboprop in place of right hand side R-2800. The aircraft handled so poorly on the ground that it was never flown.

R5C-1

Twin-engined military transport aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps. Similar to the C-46A Commando; 160 built.