Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Douglas C-54 Skymaster


Ou DC-4 pour la version civile.


Le passage sur wikipedia en anglais :


The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].



Design and development



Like the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian airliner (the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]).

Operational history


C-54s began service with the US Army Air Forces in 1942, carrying up to 26 passengers.
(Later versions carried up to 50 passengers.)

The U.S. Navy also acquired the type, under the designation R5D. The C-54 was one of the most commonly used long-range transports by the U.S. armed forces in World War II.

515 C-54s were manufactured in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and 655 were manufactured in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

After World War II, the C-54 continued to serve as the primary airlifter of the new [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]
and with the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

In late 1945, several hundred C-54s were surplus to U.S. military requirements and these were converted for civil airline operation, many by Douglas Aircraft at its aircraft plants.
The aircraft were sold to airlines around the world.
By January 1946, [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] was operating their Skymasters on transatlantic scheduled services to Europe and beyond. Trans-Pacific schedules from San Francisco to Auckland began on 6 June 1946.

On July 23, 1954, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster civilian airliner, [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], operated by[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], en route from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], was shot down by [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] fighters off the coast of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], killing 10.

President [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] signed the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], which created the U.S. Air Force, on board
"Sacred Cow", the Presidential C-54 which is preserved at the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

More than 300 C-54s and R5Ds formed the backbone of the US contribution to the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in 1948.

They also served as the main airlift during the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].
After the Korean War, the C-54 was replaced by the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], but continued to be used by the U.S. Air Force until 1972.

The C-54 was the personal aircraft of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (along with an [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]).
The C-54 was also used by the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], the Armée
de l'Air, and the armed forces of at least twelve other nations.

Variants


C-54

First production variant adapted from DC-4, 24 built.


C-54A

First military version with strengthened airframe, increased fuel capacity, provision for passengers or cargo, Navy
equivalent R5D-1, 252 built.

MC-54A

Optional designation for C-54As used for medical evacuation.

C-54B

Increased fuel capacity in the wing, One was used by Winston Churchill, 220 built.

VC-54C

One C-54A converted as Presidential transport version used by Franklin D. Roosevelt and later Harry Truman.

C-54D

Same as C-54B but with R-2000-11 engines, 380 built.

AC-54D

Small number of aircraft modified with special electronic calibration and communications equipment. The aircraft were
redesignated EC-54D.

EC-54D

Redesignation of the AC-54D.

HC-54D Rescuemaster

Redesignation of the SC-54D.


JC-54D

Nine C-54Ds temporary converted for missile tracking and nose-cone recovery.


SC-54D

38 aircraft converted by Convair, as search and rescue aircraft. Later redesignated HC-54D.

TC-54D


C-54Ds converted into multi-engine training aircraft.


VC-54D


C-54Ds converted into VIP transport aircraft.


WC-54D


C-54Ds converted for weather reconnaissance.


C-54E


Further revision to fuel tanks and provision for rapid conversion from passenger to cargo, 125 built.


AC-54E


C-54Es converted for airways calibration, redesignated EC-54E in 1962.


EC-54E


AC-54E redesignated in 1962.


HC-54E


SC-54E redesignated in 1962.


SC-54E


C-54E converted for [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], redesingated HC-54E in 1962.


VC-54E


C-54Es converted as a staff transport.


XC-54F


Proposed experimental paratroop version, not built.


C-54G


Same as C-54E but with different version of the R2000 engine.


HC-54G


SC-54G redesignated in 1962.


JC-54G


C-54Gs used for temporary testing.


SC-54G


C-54Gs converted for air-sea rescue, redesignated HC-54G in 1962.


VC-54G


C-54Gs converted into VIP/staff transport aircraft.


C-54GM


The designation of the DC-4 version with Merlin engines built by Canadair.


C-54H


Paratroop transport. None built.


C-54J


Staff transport project, none built. Navy designation R5D-6.

XC-54K


Long range version, one aircraft built with [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] engines.


C-54L


One C-54A aircraft tested in 1947 with an experimental fuel system.


C-54M


Specialized modification of C-54 to carry coal during the Berlin Airlift, 38 conversions.


MC-54M


Specialized modification of C-54E for medical evacuation, 30 conversions.


VC-54N


R5D-1Z redesignated in 1962.


C-54P


R5D-2 redesignated in 1962.


VC-54P


R5D-2Z redesignated in 1962.


C-54Q


R5D-3 redesignated in 1962.


VC-54Q


R5D-3Z redesignated in 1962.


C-54R


R5D-4R redesingated in 1962.


C-54S


R5D-5 redesingnated in 1962.


VC-54S


R5D-5Z redesignated in 1962.


C-54T


R5D-5R redesingated in 1962.


EC-54U


R5D-4 redesignated in 1962.


RC-54V


R5D-3P redesignated in 1962.


R5D-1


56 C-54As transferred to the United States Navy.


R5D-1C


R5D-1s modified in US Navy service, with a fuel system based on the one used in the C-54B.


R5D-1F


Naval staff transport conversions of the R5D-1, redesignated R5D-1Z then VC-54N.


R5D-1Z


Interim designation of the R5D-1F.


R5D-2


30 C-54Bs transferred to the United States Navy, redesignated C-54P in 1962.


R5D-2F


Naval staff transport conversion of the R5D-2, redesignated R5D-2Z then VC-54P in 1962.


R5D-2Z


Interim designation of the R5D-2F.


R5D-3


95 C-54Ds transferred to the United States Navy, redesignated C-54Q in 1962.


R5D-3P


Photo survey conversions of the R5D-3, redesignated RC-54V in 1962.


R5D-3Z


Naval staff transport conversions of the R5D-3, redesignated VC-54Q in 1962.


R5D-4


20 C-54Es transferred to the United States Navy, redesignated EC-54U in 1962.


R5D-4R


Passenger only conversion of the R5D-4, redesignated C-54R in 1962.


R5D-5


R5D-2 and R5D-3s re-engined to approximate C-54G standards, redesignated C-54S in 1962.


R5D-5R


Passenger only conversion of the R5D-5, redesignated C-54T in 1962, 86 conversion.


R5D-5Z


Staff transport conversion of the R5D-5, redesignated VC-54S in 1962.


R5D-6


Proposed USN version of the C-54J with passenger interior, not built.


XC-112


Pressurized variant of the C-54B with [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] engines. None built.


XC-112A


As XC-112. One built. Developed into [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] / [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] family.


XC-114


Stretched C-54E powered by [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] engines. One built.


XC-115


XC-114 with [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] engines. None Built.


YC-116


XC-114 with thermal de-icing rather than rubber boots for testing, one built.


Skymaster I


Royal Air Force designation for 22 C-54Ds.

Un petit clip sur cet avion.

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D'une manière générale, on trouve plus de choses en cherchant à DC 4

Un C-54 à coté d'un SO 30 Bretagne

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