Douglas C-74 Globemaster

C-74 Globemaster
C-74 Globemaster at Long Beach, California.
Role	Strategic airlifter
Manufacturer	Douglas Aircraft Company
First flight	1945-09-05
Retired	1970s
Status	No surviving aircraft
Primary users	United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force
Produced	1945-1946
Number built	14 (one converted to C-124 prototype)
Variants	C-124 Globemaster II

The Douglas C-74 Globemaster was a United States heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California.

The Globemaster was developed after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The long distances across the Atlantic, and especially the Pacific Ocean to the 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 fourteen aircraft after the production contract was canceled after 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.

Development

A contract worth over $50 million was signed June 25, 1942 for 50 aircraft and one static test article. There were no XC- or YC-74 models produced.

The Douglas Aircraft Company began studies at their Santa Monica division towards developing a transport capable of fulfilling the needs of the U.S. military. The 'C-74 Project Group' used their company's DC-4 as a basis and concentrated on extending it's capabilities. This new model number aircraft became the Douglas Model 415. Their design philosophy was to build a 'no-frills' airplane that was able to accommodate many of the Army's large equipment. This included tanks, 105mm Howitzers with transporting vehicles, angle bulldozers, and smaller utility vehicles like jeeps.

This first flight of a C-74 occurred on September 5th, 1945. The first C-74, 42-65402, was airborne just two months after 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 second built crashed during flight testing in August 1946. The fourth aircraft was diverted to a static test article at Wright Field, Ohio and virtually every component was tested to destruction between August 1946 and November 1948. This was done in order to determine the individual component's ability to withstand design loads. The fifth C-74 built was modified to be a prototype for the C-124 Globemaster II, which used the same wing as the C-74, but used a much larger fuselage. This newer aircraft quickly superseded the C-74 in service.

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 and the 'Clipper Type 9' by Pan American. Pan American intended to use the 108-passenger aircraft for international travel between New York City, Rio de Janeiro, and other cities. In June, 1944, an order was placed for 26 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 fourteen aircraft. Only construction numbers 13913/133926 (AAF serials 42-65402/4265415) were built. Construction numbers 13927/13962 (AAF serials 42-65416/65451) were canceled. 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.

Operational service

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

The C-74 supported the Berlin Airlift by flying cargo from the U.S. to staging bases in Europe, from which it was flown to Berlin in smaller C-47 Skytrain and C-54 Skymaster aircraft. Experience with the Berlin Airlift demonstrated that the new United States Air Force needed a heavy strategic airlift capability.

All of the surviving C-74s were scrapped in the 1960s and 1970s. One aircraft (42-65409) made a brief appearance in the 1969 movie The Italian Job.

Units assigned

The following USAAF/USAF units flew the C-74 Globemaster:

• Air Transport Command, Continental Division

C-74 Squadron, 554th Army Air Field Base Unit, Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee, September 1946

1703rd Air Transport Group, Brookley AFB, Alabama, October 1949

1260th Air Transport Squadron

1703rd Air Transport Group, Brookley AFB, Alabama, July 1952

6th Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)

1703rd Air Transport Group, Brookley AFB, Alabama, July 1955 - March 31, 1956

3rd Air Transport Squadron (Heavy)

• Air Transport Command, Atlantic Division

C-74 Squadron, 1103rd Army Air Field Base Unit, Morrision Field, Florida, October 1946

2nd Air Transport Group (Provisional), Morrision Field, Florida, March 1947

21st Air Transport Squadron (Provisional)

22nd Air Transport Squadron (Provisional)

3rd Air Transport Group (Provisional), Morrision Field, Florida, May 1947

31st Air Transport Squadron (Provisional)

32nd Air Transport Squadron (Provisional)

• Military Air Transport Service, Atlantic Division

521st Air Transport Group, Brookley AFB, Alabama, June 1948

17th Air Transport Squadron

19th Air Transport Squadron

1601st Air Transport Group, Brookley AFB, Alabama, October 1948

1260th Air Transport Squadron

Fame

The Douglas C-74 Globemaster was used in the 1969 film, The Italian Job. It is the Chinese aircraft that delivers the gold to FIAT in Turin.

Specifications (C-74 Globemaster)

C-74 Globemaster over Long Beach, California.

General characteristics

• Crew: 3
• Capacity: 125 troops

Performance

See also

Related development

• C-124 Globemaster II

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States

References

• Francillon, René (1979). McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-87021-428-4.
• Williams, Nicholas M. "Bug-Eyed Monster: The Douglas Model 415A the first Globemaster and DC-7". Air Enthusiast (No. 60 November-December 1995): pp.40-53. ISSN 0143 5450. {{cite journal}}: |issue= has extra text (help); |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)

External links

• C-74 at air-and-space.com

"Globemaster - The Douglas C-74", Nicholas M. Williams, JOURNAL of the American Aviation Historical Society, Volume 25, Number 2, Summer 1980.