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The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered
airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...
and
cargo aircraft A cargo aircraft (also known as freight aircraft, freighter, airlifter or cargo jet) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is designed or converted for the carriage of air cargo, cargo rather than passenger aircraft, passengers. Such aircraft usually ...
built by the
Douglas Aircraft Company The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer based in Southern California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas; it then operated as ...
from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a
military transport Military supply-chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services for military materiel applications. Military supply chain management includes sub-suppliers, suppliers, internal info ...
near the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, it was reworked after the war to compete with the
Lockheed Constellation The Lockheed Constellation ("Connie") is a propeller-driven, four-engined airliner built by Lockheed Corporation starting in 1943. The Constellation series was the first pressurized-cabin civil airliner series to go into widespread use. Its press ...
in the long-range commercial transport market. More than 700 were built and many still fly in cargo, military, and
wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...
control roles. The DC-6 was known as the C-118 Liftmaster in
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
service and as the R6D in
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
service prior to 1962, after which all U.S. Navy variants were also designated as the C-118.


Design and development

The
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
commissioned the DC-6 project as the XC-112 in 1944. The Army Air Forces wanted a lengthened,
pressurized {{Wiktionary Pressurization or pressurisation is the application of pressure in a given situation or environment. Industrial Industrial equipment is often maintained at pressures above or below atmospheric. Atmospheric This is the process by ...
version of the DC-4-based
C-54 Skymaster The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian a ...
transport with more powerful engines. By the time the prototype XC-112A flew on 15 February 1946, the war was over, the USAAF had rescinded its requirement, and the aircraft was converted to YC-112A, being sold in 1955.Roach & Eastwood, 2007, p. 273. Douglas Aircraft modified the design into a civil transport longer than the DC-4. The civil DC-6 first flew on 29 June 1946, being retained by Douglas for testing. The first airline deliveries were to
American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
and
United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
on 24 November 1946. A series of inflight fires (including the fatal crash of
United Airlines Flight 608 United Air Lines Flight 608 was a Douglas DC-6 airliner, registration NC37510, on a scheduled passenger flight from Los Angeles to Chicago when it crashed at 12:29 pm on October 24, 1947 about southeast of Bryce Canyon Airport, Utah, United ...
) grounded the DC-6 fleet in 1947. The cause was found to be a fuel vent next to the cabin cooling turbine intake; all DC-6s were modified and the fleet was flying again after four months on the ground.


Operational history

In April 1949, United, American, Delta, National, and Braniff were flying DC-6s in the United States. United flew them to Hawaii, Braniff flew them to Rio de Janeiro, and Panagra flew Miami-Buenos Aires; KLM, SAS, and Sabena flew DC-6s across the Atlantic. BCPA DC-6s flew Sydney to Vancouver, and
Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
flew Manila to London and Manila to San Francisco.
Pan Am Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
used DC-6Bs to start transatlantic tourist-class flights in 1952. These were the first DC-6Bs that could gross , with CB-17 engines rated at on 108/135 octane fuel. Several European airlines followed with their own transatlantic services. The DC-6B and C subtypes could often fly nonstop from the eastern US to Europe, but needed to refuel in Goose Bay, Labrador or Gander, Newfoundland when flying westbound into prevailing westerly winds. Douglas designed four variants of the DC-6: the basic DC-6, and the longer-fuselage () higher-gross-weight, longer-range versions—the DC-6A with cargo doors forward and aft of the wing on the left side, with a cargo floor; the DC-6B for passenger work, with passenger doors only and a lighter floor; and the DC-6C convertible, with the two cargo doors and removable passenger seats. The DC-6B, originally powered by Double Wasp engines with Hamilton Standard 43E60 constant-speed reversing propellers, was regarded as the ultimate piston-engine airliner from the standpoint of ruggedness, reliability, economical operation, and handling qualities.Winchester 2004, pp. 130–131. The military version, similar to the DC-6A, was the USAF C-118 Liftmaster; the USN R6D version used the more powerful R-2800-CB-17 engines. These were later used on the commercial DC-6B to allow international flights.Winchester 2004, p. 131. The R6D Navy version (in the late 1950s and early 1960s) had Curtiss Electric constant-speed reversing propellers. The USAF and USN renewed their interest in the DC-6 during the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, and ordered 167 C-118/R6D aircraft, some of which later found their way to civil airlines.
Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
's first presidential aircraft was an Air Force short-fuselage DC-6 which was designated VC-118, and named ''The Independence''. It is preserved in the
National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...
at
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...
. Total production of the DC-6 series was 704, including military versions. In the 1960s two DC-6s were used as transmitter platforms for educational television, based at
Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
, in a program called the
Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction The Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction (MPATI) was a special broadcasting initiative designed to broadcast educational television programming to schools, especially in areas where local educational television stations are either d ...
. Many older DC-6s were replaced in airline passenger service from the mid-1950s by the
Douglas DC-7 The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. A derivative of the DC-6, it was the last major piston engine-powered transport made by Douglas, being developed shortly after the ear ...
, but the simpler, more economical engines in the DC-6 have meant the type has outlived the DC-7, particularly for cargo operations. DC-6/7s surviving into the jet age were replaced in frontline intercontinental passenger service by the
Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
and
Douglas DC-8 The Douglas DC-8 (sometimes McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is a long-range narrow-body airliner built by the American Douglas Aircraft Company. After losing the May 1954 US Air Force tanker competition to the Boeing KC-135, Douglas announced in Ju ...
. Basic prices of a new DC-6 in 1946–47 were around £210,000–£230,000 and had risen to £310,000 by 1951. By 1960, used prices were around £175,000 per aircraft. Prices for the DC-6A in 1957–58 were £460,000–£480,000. By 1960, used prices were around £296,000. Equivalent prices for the DC-6B in 1958 were around £500,000. Used prices in 1960 were around £227,000. From 1977 to 1990, five yellow-painted Douglas DC-6Bs were used as
water bombers Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...
in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
by the
Sécurité Civile The (General directorate for civil defense and crisis management) is a civil defense agency of the French Government. It operates for the Ministry of the Interior and employs some 2,500 civilian and military personnel over 60 sites. Known as the ...
. They were registered F-ZBAC, F-ZBAD, F-ZBAE, F-ZBAP, and F-ZBBU.


Variants

;XC-112A :United States military designation of an improved version of the C-54 (DC-4); became the prototype DC-6. Eventually designated YC-112A, pressurized, P&W R-2800-83AM3 engines ;DC-6 :Initial production variant produced in two versions. ::DC-6-1156 a 53- to 68-seat domestic variant with R-2800-CA15 engines ::DC-6-1159 a 48- to 64-seat trans-ocean variant with extra crew, increased fuel capacity to , increased takeoff weight to and R-2800-CB16 engines. ; :Freighter variant; fuselage slightly lengthened from DC-6; fitted with cargo door; some retained cabin windows, while others had windows Precluded. Originally called "Liftmaster" as USAF models. The rear cargo door came standard with a built in lift elevator and a Jeep. The Jeep was a public relations stunt and shortly after, was dropped.
Slick Airways Slick Airways was a cargo airline from the United States, that operated scheduled and chartered flights between 1946 and 1966. The airline was founded by Earl Slick, a Texas aviator and multimillionaire who along with his brother had inherited $ ...
was the first airline to operate the freighter variant in April 1951. ; :All-passenger variant of DC-6A, without cargo door. ::DC-6B-1198A a 60- to 89-seat domestic variant with R-2800-CB16 engines ::DC-6B-1225A a 42- to 89-seat trans-ocean variant with increased fuel capacity to , increased takeoff weight to and R-2800-CB17 engines. ; :Swing tail freighter conversion to the DC-6B done by
Sabena The ''Societé anonyme belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation aérienne'' (French; ), better known by the acronym Sabena or SABENA, was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its ba ...
. Two converted, only one survives currently stored with Buffalo Airways ;DC-6C :Convertible cargo/passenger variant. ;VC-118 :United States military designation for one DC-6 bought as a presidential transport with special 25-seat interior and 12 beds. ;C-118A :Designation of DC-6As for the United States Air Force, 101 built. ;VC-118A :C-118As converted as staff transports. ;C-118B :R6D-1s redesignated. ;VC-118B :R6D-1Zs redesignated. ;R6D-1 :United States Navy designation for the DC-6A, 65 built. ;R6D-1Z :Four R6D-1s converted as staff transports.


Operators


Current operators

Today, most DC-6s are inactive, stored, or preserved in museums. A number of DC-6s are still flying in northern bush operations in Alaska, while several are based in Europe and a few are still in operation for small carriers in South America. * One DC-6A, G-APSA, is based in the UK and available for private charter. It was painted in British Eagle colours and appeared at many air displays. The aircraft was disassembled in 2018. It had been grounded at Coventry for some time due to wing spar issues and these proved beyond economic repair. The parts of the airframe were taken to the South Wales Aviation Museum in the spring of 2021 where it will be restored and reassembled to go on display. Another DC-6B (G-SIXC ex-Air Atlantique) was converted to a restaurant some years ago, but was reported to have closed in 2017. It was also moved to St Athan with G-APSA, but was advertised for sale in August 2021. * One DC-6B is in use by
Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...
in
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...
,
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. * One DC-6B V5-NCG "Bateleur" was in use with Namibia Commercial Aviation. It was stored and derelict in Windhoek by Jan 2017. * As of July 2016,
Everts Air Cargo Everts Air Cargo is an American Part 121 airline based in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. It operates D.O.D, scheduled and charter airline cargo within Alaska, Canada, Mexico and the continental United States. Its maintenance base is Fairbanks Interna ...
in Alaska operates eleven DC-6s and two C-46s, with several more in storage. Their sister company
Everts Air Fuel Everts may refer to: Places * Everts, California * Everts Township, Minnesota * Mount Everts, Wyoming Other uses * Everts (surname), including a list of people with the name * Everts Air, airline based in Fairbanks, Alaska See also * Ever ...
operates three DC-6 and two C-46.


Former operators

A great number of airlines and air forces from several countries included the DC-6 in their fleets at some point in time; these are further detailed in the list of Douglas DC-6 operators. Beginning in the 1980s, several DC-6Bs were used as fire retardant tankers by Conair Aerial Firefighting of Abbotsford, Canada. The last aircraft was sold to Everts Air Cargo in Fairbanks, AK in the late 2000s.


Accidents and incidents


Surviving aircraft

, 147 DC-6s survived, of which 47 were airworthy; several were preserved in museums. ;VC-118A ;;On Display * S/N 46-0505 ''Independence'' is on display in the Presidential Hangar at the
National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...
, at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County, Ohio, Greene and Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patte ...
in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...
. This aircraft served as President
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
's personal aircraft until he left office in 1953. It later served as a VIP aircraft for other air force personnel, before being retired to the museum in 1965. * S/N 53-3240 is on display at the
Pima Air and Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres (320,000 m² ...
in
Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...
. This aircraft served as President
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
's
Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. In common parlance, the term is used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and used ...
until 1962, when it was replaced as the primary presidential aircraft by
VC-137C SAM 26000 SAM 26000 was the first of two Boeing VC-137C United States Air Force aircraft specifically configured and maintained for use by the president of the United States. It used the callsign ''Air Force One'' when the president was on board, otherwis ...
, and relegated to use as the backup presidential aircraft. It was the last propeller-driven aircraft to serve in the presidential fleet. ;VC-118B ;;On Display * C/N 43207, built in 1951, is on display at the
National Naval Aviation Museum The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1962 and moved to its curr ...
aboard
Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...
in Pensacola, Florida ;C-118A ;;On Display * S/N 53-3255 is on display at
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...
, New Jersey.
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
returned to the United States in this aircraft after serving in the US Army in Germany. As of October 2009, it was being restored. Starting in 2010, this Liftmaster is being showcased at the official Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 6 miles northeast of Dayton, Ohio. * S/N 51-17651 is on display at the Jimmy Doolittle Air & Space Museum, located at
Travis Air Force Base Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, Californi ...
in
Fairfield, California Fairfield is a city in and the county seat of Solano County, California, in the North Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, approximately fro ...
. This aircraft served first in the US Air Force and was later transferred to the US Navy as Bureau Number 131602. ;;Flying * C/N 45563 is currently flying with the
Flying Bulls Flying may refer to: * Flight, the process of flying * Aviation, the creation and operation of aircraft Music Albums * ''Flying'' (Grammatrain album), 1997 * ''Flying'' (Jonathan Fagerlund album), 2008 * ''Flying'' (UFO album), 1971 * ''Fl ...
, owner
Dietrich Mateschitz Dietrich Mateschitz (; 20 May 1944 – 22 October 2022) was an Austrian billionaire businessman. He was the co-founder and 49% owner of Red Bull GmbH. In April 2022, Mateschitz's net worth was estimated at US$27.4 billion. Mateschitz worked in ...
, out of
Salzburg, Austria Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...
. This aircraft was once the private luxury transport of Yugoslav President
Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
. ;;On Display * C/N 45550 is displayed at
Coventry Airport Coventry Airport is located south-southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England. The airport is operated and licensed by Coventry Airport Limited. Its CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P902) allows flights ...
at Baginton, United Kingdom. Built in September 1958, this aircraft spent most of its life in Southeast Asia, and after serving with the CIA and Royal Air Lao, it was bought by Air Atlantique Group in 1987. Its last commercial flight was on October 26, 2004. It was featured in the 2006 James Bond film '' Casino Royale''. No longer flying, it was converted into a static restaurant at Coventry airport, the "DC-6 Diner". ;;In Storage * Two DC-6s that belonged to Aerosur, a defunct Colombian airline, are abandoned and parked in
Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport , formerly known as Palmaseca International Airport, is an international airport located between Palmira and Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia. It is Colombia's fourth-busies ...
of Cali, Colombia. ;;On Display * Everts Air Cargo retired the DC-6A N6174C "Good Grief" on October 2, 2016, after it made the final flight from Anchorage to
Chena Hot Springs Chena Hot Springs is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community and spa town, hot spring resort in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States, 56.5 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, ...
, concluding its 62-year flight career. * A Republic of China Air Force DC-6B 18351 "Chung Mei" served as presidential aircraft from 1949 to December 1972 and army general aircraft until retired in December 1978, is parked at
Republic of China Air Force Museum The Republic of China Air Force Museum () is an air force open-air museum in Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. History The museum building was completed on 14 August 1987 to accommodate the Republic of China Air Force Academy campus plannin ...
.


Specifications


See also


References


Notes


Bibliography

* Pearcy, Arthur. ''Douglas Propliners: DC-1–DC-7''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1995. . * Roach, J and Eastwood A.B., ''Piston Engined Airliner Production List'', 2007, The Aviation Hobby Shop * ''United States Air Force Museum Guidebook''. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Air Force Museum Foundation, 1975. * Whittle, John A. ''The Douglas DC-6 and DC-7 Series''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1971. * Winchester, Jim, ed. "Douglas DC-6". ''Civil Aircraft'' (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2004. . * Yenne, Bill. ''McDonnell Douglas: A Tale of Two Giants''. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books, 1985. .


External links


Boeing: Historical Snapshot: DC-6/C-118A Liftmaster Transport



Airliners.net on the DC-6


{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas Dc-6 1940s United States airliners 1940s United States military transport aircraft DC-06 Low-wing aircraft Four-engined tractor aircraft Articles containing video clips Aircraft first flown in 1946 Four-engined piston aircraft