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Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4)


Four-Engine Military Transport Aircraft


United States | 1942



"The C-54 Skymaster was a pivotal American aircraft serving actively throughout the Berlin Airlift."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Douglas C-54A (R5D-1) Skymaster Four-Engine Military Transport Aircraft.
4 x Pratt & Whitney E-2000-7 "Twin Wasp" air-cooled radial piston engines developing 1,290 horsepower each and driving three-bladed propeller units.
Propulsion
275 mph
442 kph | 239 kts
Max Speed
22,310 ft
6,800 m | 4 miles
Service Ceiling
3,977 miles
6,400 km | 3,456 nm
Operational Range
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Douglas C-54A (R5D-1) Skymaster Four-Engine Military Transport Aircraft.
4
(MANNED)
Crew
93.5 ft
28.50 m
O/A Length
117.5 ft
(35.80 m)
O/A Width
27.6 ft
(8.40 m)
O/A Height
38,934 lb
(17,660 kg)
Empty Weight
72,753 lb
(33,000 kg)
MTOW
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4) family line.
DC-4 - Base Series Designation
DC-4E - Pressurized Model to succeed the DC-3; increased range; fitted with 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-2000-2SD1-G Twin Wasp engines; later changed to unpressurized type for technical reasons.
C-54 "Skymaster" - United States Army Base Series Designation; 26 passenger type; R-2000-7 radial engines; 26 total examples.
C-54A - Fully militarized US Army type; R-2000-7 engines; 50 passenger seating.
C-54B - US Army version; implemented wing tanks.
C-54D - US Army version; R-2000-11 radials.
C-54E - US Army version; redesigned fuel tanks; dual-role passenger/cargo handler.
C-54G - US Army version; dedicated troop carrier.
R5D - United States Navy Base Series Designation.
R5D-1 - Fully militarized USN type; R-2000-7 engines; 50 passenger seating.
R5D-2 - USN version; implemented wing tanks.
R5D-3 - USN version; R-2000-11 radials.
R5D-4 - USN version; redesigned fuel tanks; dual-role passenger/cargo handler.
R5D-5 - USN version; dedicated troop carrier.


Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/21/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Derived from the commercial DC-4 airliner, the C-54 Skymaster was a workhorse transport aircraft for both the United States Army and the United States Navy branches of service. Planned as a technologically superior successor to the DC-3 type, the early DC-4 design suffered through growing pains of burgeoning pressurization technology, proving too much to handle and well ahead of its time. As such, the DC-4 design went back to a simplified un-pressurized version that would become the basis for the C-54 for Army use and the R5D for Navy usage.

Design of the DC-4 type consisted primarily of a sleek fuselage and began as early as 1935, though production elements were not delivered till 1942. Even then, the early models destined for civilian transport use were rerouted and enlisted for military service. Four Pratt & Whitney brand radials were mounted on the low monoplane wing assembly. A single ventral vertical surface was set on the tail section in place of the twin fins found on the early DC-4E models. Crew accommodations amounted to 4, with seating for up to 86 civilian passengers and an additional four in-flight service crew.

The system saw extensive service for both US branches and appeared in a variety of forms, differing in powerplant usage and number of passenger seats. Some dedicated troop and cargo transports existed with US President Roosevelt's own VIP version known as the "Sacred Cow" - utilized as a personal transport throughout the war. Post war service amounted to high utilization during the Berlin Airlift as well as serving in further models as a civil passenger airliner in later years.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 1,170 Units

Contractor(s): Douglas Aircraft Company - USA
National flag of Algeria National flag of Argentina National flag of Australia National flag of Belgium National flag of Bolivia National flag of Cameroon National flag of Canada National flag of Chad National flag of China National flag of Colombia National flag of Denmark National flag of Ecuador National flag of France National flag of Gabon National flag of Greece National flag of Iceland National flag of Ireland National flag of Israel National flag of Italy National flag of modern Japan National flag of Lebanon National flag of Luxembourg National flag of Mexico National flag of the Netherlands National flag of Nicaragua National flag of Niger National flag of Norway National flag of Peru National flag of the Philippines National flag of South Africa National flag of South Korea National flag of Spain National flag of Sweden National flag of Switzerland National flag of Syria National flag of Taiwan National flag of Thailand National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of the United States National flag of Vietnam National flag of Venezuela

[ Aden; Algeria; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Australia; Barbados; Belgium; Bolivia; Burundi; Cameroon; Canada; Chad; Republic of China (Taiwan); Colombia; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Denmark; Ecuador; El Salvador; France; Gabon; Greece; Hong Kong; Iceland; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Ivory Coast; Japan; Kenya; Lebanon; Luxembourg; Madagascar; Mauritania; Mexico; Netherlands; Nicaragua; Niger; Norway; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; South Africa; South Korea; South Vietnam; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Syria; Thailand; United Kingdom; United States; Venezuela ]
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Going Further...
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4) Four-Engine Military Transport Aircraft appears in the following collections:
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