Humble Heroes of the Berlin Airlift: The C-54 Skymaster

 While the C-47/Dakota -- the military versions of the DC-3 -- became the symbol of the Berlin Airlift because they were the first aircraft Britain and the United States sent to Berlin with supplies, the DC-3 did not make the greatest contribution. That honour goes to the larger, four-engine C-54.

The C-54 'Skymaster' was born out of a commercial design by Douglas Aircraft corporation which had been developed to meet commercial demands for a larger, long-range passenger transport. It was designated the DC-4. By the time the design was ready for testing, however, the United States had entered WWII. The US military immediately appropriated all 80 aircraft already ordered and pressed them into service. The government needed a plane that could rapidly deliver people and dispatches over long distances, notably across the Atlantic.  Within months, however, more orders were placed for a cargo version of the DC-4. These versions had removable seats and could carry either passengers or freight. Altogether 1,164 military versions of the aircraft, known in military jargon as the C-54 Skymaster, were produced between 1942 and 1947. In addition, after the end of the war, 79 more were ordered by and built for civilian airliners. Production of the DC-4 ended in 1947.

The key innovation of the DC-4 compared with earlier passenger and cargo aircraft was the tricycle undercarriage. This made loading and off-loading easier than on the sloping deck of a DC-3. (See below comparative images of the DC-3 left and the DC-4 right).

 

 The DC-4 was powered by four Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines. It had a cruising speed of 223 mph, or roughly the DC-3's maximum speed, and a maximum speed of 280 mph. The passenger capacity was 44 passengers sitting up and 22 lying down. The cargo capacity was 28,000 pounds or 14 tons, almost five-times the cargo capacity of a DC-3, and it had a service ceiling of 22,900 feet. The C-45 could carry aircraft engines or small vehicles. The range was 3,300 miles or slightly more than twice that of the DC-3.

Like the DC-3, pilots loved the DC-4. It was light on the controls, responsive and very reliable. It was reportedly easier to fly than a B-17 and it had an outstanding safety record. It was soon the workhorse of the USAAF, and in 1948 when the Russians blockaded Berlin, the new US Air Force still hand plenty of them spread out all over the world -- just not a single one in Germany. So the Airlift got off the ground with DC-3s and DC-4s and any other available aircraft they could scrounge together or lease.

After General Tunner took over command of the Airlift in August, however, he wanted a homogeneous fleet in order to standardize procedures, spare-parts, maintenance, and turn-around times. His objective was to create an operation that was as efficient as a factory assembly line. This required complete interchangeability of parts, something only possible if only one type of aircraft was involved. The only aircraft the USAF had in sufficient quantities for such an operation was the C-54.  

The first C-54 landed in Germany for service on the Berlin Airlift on the morning of June 30, just five days after the blockade had started, Exactly three months later on September 30, the last USAF C-47 was withdrawn from the Airlift, and from then on the USAF flew only C-54s on the Airlift. The fleet was slowly built up in stages until, by the time the Soviets lifted the blockade in May 1949, 224 USAF C-54s were flying on the Berlin Airlift. 

Altogether, the USAF had carried 76% of all cargoes by weight, and 89.6% of all coal deliveries. The C-54's accounted for the lion's share of that accomplishment. They deserve more recognition than they have received.

The Berlin Airlift is the subject of Bridge to Tomorrow, a trilogy of novels starting with Cold Peace.

Watch a video teaser here: Winning a War with Milk, Coal and Chocolate

The first battle of the Cold War is about to begin....

Berlin 1948.  In the ruins of Hitler’s capital, former RAF officers, a woman pilot, and the victim of Russian brutality form an air ambulance company. But the West is on a collision course with Stalin’s aggression and Berlin is about to become a flashpoint. World War Three is only a misstep away. Buy Now

Berlin is under siege. More than two million civilians must be supplied by air -- or surrender to Stalin's oppression.

USAF Captain J.B. Baronowsky and RAF Flight Lieutenant Kit Moran once risked their lives to drop high explosives on Berlin. They are about to deliver milk, flour and children’s shoes instead. Meanwhile, two women pilots are flying an air ambulance that carries malnourished and abandoned children to freedom in the West. Until General Winter deploys on the side of Russia. Buy now!

 Based on historical events, award-winning and best-selling novelist Helena P. Schrader delivers an insightful, exciting and moving tale about how former enemies became friends in the face of Russian aggression — and how close the Berlin Airlift came to failing.