C-46 Commando

[Tailwheel]

Hey everyone. This site and its members have been invaluable to me in recent months and I want to pay back the tremendous support with an offer to all members interested in aviation.

I volunteer with the organization “Warriors and Warbirds” in Monroe, NC. We maintain and operate a 1944 Curtiss-Wright C-46 “Commando” named “The Tinkerbelle”. It is an extremely rare military aircraft and we happen to have 1 of 6 remaining in the world.. At the time it was the largest twin engine transport aircraft in the world. Ours is the only one in the original Air Transport Command livery and its the only C-46 in the Lower 48. likely the only one you will ever see, let alone hear run and possibly see fly.

If anyone would like a tour of the aircraft let me know. I’m one of the pilots and would be happy to chat airplanes and provide a tour. I work full time so scheduling can be a bit tricky but if things line up I’m happy to tour the airplane and talk Air Transport Command or really anything else involving any type of aviation.

We also maintain a 1942 Willys and a 1951 M37. We currently have a FockeWolfe 149 from WaffenSchule 50 in our hangar and are in the process of restoring an A4 Skyhawk for a static display to be used at a local museum being built by the local municipality.

We are a 503.C Non-Profit and depend entirely on donations to continue operations. Like everyone else, Covid has taken its toll on us this year and we are trying to keep the airplane airworthy. Donations are greatly appreciated but never expected. We also have T-shirts available for sale for those interested.

We are strictly volunteer. We are in need of FAA certificated A&P mechanics and A&P IA’s if anyone is interested in volunteering some time.

Guys/Gals, again, this forum has been great. The information and members are amazing. Reach out if you’d like a tour.

 

[m1010plowboy]

Thanks for sharing that. One never knows where support will come from until the need is shared in all markets. Museums and landscapers are the first to go in tough times so I hope you get the support you need for 2021.

Have you bumped into these fellas? https://www.instagram.com/mikeymcbryan/?hl=en

If you haven't, Mikey used some personal resources for a build but a lot of support came out of his social media marketing madness. Here's a link to the flight of DTD's last 156 days of Get er' done!

Take-off at 28:28, airspeed's alive.

 

[Guyfang]

Thats a very nice way to say thanks! Wish i could make the trip over. You mentioned "In the lower 48". I seem to remember reading a while back, (In Air and Space?) about a transport company in Alaska that bought up a number of the "Old Girls" and almost all the repair parts. They still maintain a fleet of 3-4(?) birds for everyday transport work up north. Some of the war birds that flew in the last D-Day ceremony, flew over my house here in Germany. I think it was a flight of 3. They were on the way to Berlin. What a sight!

 

[Tailwheel]

Thats a very nice way to say thanks! Wish i could make the trip over. You mentioned "In the lower 48". I seem to remember reading a while back, (In Air and Space?) about a transport company in Alaska that bought up a number of the "Old Girls" and almost all the repair parts. They still maintain a fleet of 3-4(?) birds for everyday transport work up north. Some of the war birds that flew in the last D-Day ceremony, flew over my house here in Germany. I think it was a flight of 3. They were on the way to Berlin. What a sight!

Thanks would be Everts Air Cargo. Fine bunch of folks. They primarily use one to move fuel out of Kenai, but they also keep a standby plane ready in Fairbanks. We work closely with them and they always help us out with parts. Their chief pilot flies our ship every now and again.