Douglas C-74...the first "Globemaster"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_C-74_Globemaster

The Douglas C-74 Globemaster was a United States heavy-lift cargo aircraft built
by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. The aircraft was
developed after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The long distances across
the Atlantic and, especially, Pacific oceans to combat areas indicated a need
for a transoceanic heavy-lift military transport aircraft. Douglas Aircraft
Company responded in 1942 with a giant four-engined design. Development and
production modifications issues with the aircraft caused the first flight to be
delayed until 5 September 1945, and production was limited to 14 aircraft when
the production contract was canceled following V-J Day.

Although not produced in large numbers, the C-74 did fill the need for a
long-range strategic airlifter, in which the subsequent Douglas C-124
Globemaster II was used by the Air Force for many years.

This first flight of a C-74 occurred at 1509 hrs. on 5 September 1945 at Long
Beach with Ben O. Howard at the controls and lasted 79 minutes. The first C-74,
42-65402, was airborne just two months after it rolled off the assembly line. At
the time of its first flight, the C-74 was the largest landplane to enter
production, with a maximum weight of 172,000 lb (78,000 kg). It was able to
carry 125 soldiers or 48,150 lb (21,840 kg) of cargo over a range of 3,400 mi
(5,500 km). Perhaps the most notable feature of the C-74 was its cockpit
arrangement with separate canopies over the pilot and copilot; the same
arrangement was used for the XB-42 Mixmaster. This arrangement was unpopular
with flight crews, however, and the aircraft were retrofitted with a more
conventional arrangement. During the life of the aircraft, the radial engines
were also upgraded to 3,250 hp (2,424 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-4360-49 engines. The
aircraft was 31 feet longer than the C-54 Skymaster, and would be 24 feet longer
than the proposed C-118 Liftmaster.

Douglas had every intention to adapt the aircraft into a civil airliner once the
war ended. Pan American World Airways began negotiations in 1944. Their civilian
model would be dubbed a DC-7 by Douglas (Model 415A) and the 'Clipper Type 9' by
Pan American. Pan American intended to use the 108-passenger aircraft for
international travel between New York, Rio de Janeiro, and other cities. The
major difference between the military cargo aircraft and the civil airliner was
the non-pressurized fuselage of the military C-74 and the pressurized DC-7. The
passenger compartment was to be outfitted with a lounge bar, dining area and
sleeping cabins for night flights. In June 1945, an order was placed for 26 DC-7
aircraft.

With the need for military aircraft greatly reduced by the end of World War II,
the order for 50 military aircraft was canceled in January 1946 after production
of only 14 aircraft. This cancellation also ended plans to build an airliner
version of the C-74 for the civilian market, as the limited military production
run increased the cost per civilian aircraft to over $1,412,000 and Pan American
canceled its order. Douglas then canceled the DC-7 designation. The DC-7
designation was later used for a completely different civilian airliner project
in the early 1950s, having no relationship to the C-74.


Role
Strategic airlifter

Manufacturer
Douglas Aircraft Company

First flight
5 September 1945

Retired
1969 (last operational flight)

Status
Retired – 1959 (military), 1969 (civilian)

Primary users
United States Army Air Forces
United States Air Force

Produced
1945–1947

Number built
14 (one converted to C-124 prototype)

Developed into
Douglas C-124 Globemaster II

Of the 14 Globemasters built, 11 actually saw operational service. All were used
by the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command (ATC), and later by
the United States Air Force Military Air Transport Service (MATS).

The C-74 had a crew of five, including copilot, pilot, radio operator,
navigator, and flight engineer. Crew rest quarters were included for
long-duration missions. Passageways were provided in the wing to permit the
flight engineer to perform servicing and repairs while in flight. It could carry
125 fully equipped troops, 115 litter patients with their medical attendants, or
up to 50,000 lb (22,700 kg) of cargo. The cargo bay had twin hoists that could
be moved on a rail up and down the bay. They could be used to drop a removable
belly section to ease loading of cargoes, reducing the need for specialized
cargo handling equipment.

The small numbers of C-74s built meant that the aircraft's service was limited,
but it gave the Air Force experience with the operation and utility of large
transport aircraft.

By 1952, the C-74 began to experience shortages of spare parts and increasing
maintenance problems. It was recognized by late 1954 that the deterioration of
the C-74's components was progressing more rapidly than predicted. Plans were
made for the eventual retirement of the Air Force's only fleet of Globemasters.
In June 1955, the 6th ATS was merged with the 3rd ATS and was flying operational
missions with them. On 1 July, the 6th ATS (Heavy) was inactivated and its C-74s
and crews were transferred to the 1703rd ATG's 3rd ATS (Heavy). On 1 November
1955, the C-74s were placed in flyable storage at Brookley AFB while the group
waited for instructions as to the disposition of the aircraft.

During the first three months of 1956, the 11 remaining C-74s were officially
removed from the Military Air Transport Service's inventory and were flown one
by one to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona for long-term storage and disposition.
Colonel George S. Cassady, who had accepted the first C-74 for the Air Force and
who was by then a Brigadier General, was attending a Continental Division
Commander's Conference when he learned of the C-74's last flight. Cassady
received special permission to pilot the aircraft on its last flight and on 31
March 1956, flew the last C-74 from Brookley AFB to Davis-Monthan AFB

Specifications (C-74)

General characteristics
Crew: 5
Capacity: 125 troops
Payload: 48,150 lb (21,840 kg)
Length: 124 ft 2 in (37.85 m)
Wingspan: 173 ft 3 in (52.81 m)
Height: 43 ft 9 in (13.34 m)
Wing area: 2,510 ft² (233 m²)
Empty weight: 86,172 lb (39,087 kg)
Loaded weight: 154,128 lb (69,911 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 172,000 lb (78,000 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360-69 radial engines, 3,250 hp (2,424 kW)
each

Performance
Maximum speed: 328 mph (285 kn, 528 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
Range: 3,400 mi (2,950 nmi, 5,470 km)
Service ceiling: 21,300 ft (6,490 m)
Rate of climb: 2,605 ft/min (13.2 m/s)
Wing loading: 61 lb/ft² (300 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.08 hp/lb (140 W/kg)




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