LOGAIR-Capitol Airways Curtiss C-46 Commando

Additional Information:

The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a low-wing, twin-engine aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurized high-altitude airliner design. The Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company press releases. The Commando was used primarily as a cargo aircraft during World War II but contained fold-down seating for military troop transport and the ability to deliver paratroops. Mainly deployed by the United States Army Air Forces, the Commando also served the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps, which called it R5C. Approximately 3,200 C-46s were produced compared to roughly 10,200 C-47 Skytrains.

After World War II, the C-46 was soon relegated to cargo duty but a few surplus C-46 aircraft were briefly used in their original role as passenger airliners. The C-46 continues to operate today as a cargo transport for arctic and remote locations and its service life will be extended into the 21st century.

Capitol Airways was a charter airline and scheduled passenger air carrier based in the United States and operated from 1946 until its bankruptcy filing on November 23, 1984. It was founded as Capitol Airways in 1946 and then was renamed Capitol International Airways in 1967. In 1981, the airline changed its name to Capitol Air and was operating scheduled domestic and international passenger flights.

By 1956, Capitol Airways was operating a fleet of more than twenty Curtiss C-46 transport planes, and had become a primary civilian carrier for the military’s Logistics Air Transportation System (LOGAIR) program. The LOGAIR program was a contracted priority cargo airlift service operated by the United States Air Force.

Capitol Airways flew this C-46 Commando transport as part of the contracted LOGAIR air freight service to Kirtland Air Force Base from 1960 through 1965 using aircraft number N46774.

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