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The 'Douglas DC-6' is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1959. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range transport market. More than 700 were built, and many still fly today in cargo, military, and wildfire control roles.
The DC-6 was known as the 'C-118 Liftmaster' in United States Air Force service, and as the 'R6D' in United States Navy service.

Contents

Design and development

DC-6 after 60 years

Operators

Civil operators

Military operators

Specifications (DC-6B)

References

External links

Related content

Design and development

The United States Army Air Forces commissioned the DC-6 project as the 'XC-112' in 1944. The Air Force wanted an expanded, pressurized version of the popular C-54 Skymaster transport with improved engines. By the time the XC-112 flew, the war was over, and the USAAF had rescinded its requirement.
Douglas converted its prototype into a civil transport (redesignated YC-112A, having significant differences from subsequent production DC-6 aircraft) and delivered the first production DC-6 in March of 1947. However, a series of mysterious in-flight fires (including the fatal crash of United Airlines Flight 608) grounded the DC-6 fleet later that year. The cause was found to be a fuel vent located adjacent to the cabin cooling turbine intake. All DC-6's in service were modified to correct the problem, and the fleet was flying again after just four months on the ground.
Pan Am used DC-6 aircraft to inaugurate its first trans-Atlantic tourist class flights, starting in 1952.
On February 12 1955 night a Sabena DC6 crashed on mount Terminillo, near Rieti, Italy. 29 people died, including 1953 Miss Italia winner Marcella Mariani.
On November 1 1955 a time bomb exploded aboard United Airlines Flight 629, a DC-6, killing 44 people above Longmont, Colorado.
The USAF Strategic Air Command had C-118 Liftmasters in service from 1957 through 1975.
Douglas designed four basic variants of the DC-6: the "basic DC-6," and higher-gross-weight, longer range versions—the "DC-6A" had a large cargo door and was designed for cargo work, while the "DC-6B" was designed for passenger work and the "DC-6C" was a "convertible" aircraft that could accommodate both. The military version, essentially similar to the DC-6A, was the C-118. The DC-6B, powered by Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB-17 engines with Hamilton Standard 43E60 constant speed reversing propellers, was regarded by many to be the ultimate piston-engine airliner from the standpoint of ruggedness, reliability, economical operation, and handling qualities.
The military renewed its interest in the DC-6 during the Korean War, and commissioned a number of aircraft that later found their way into civilian service. Harry Truman's first presidential aircraft was an Air Force 'VC-118' called ''The Independence.''
Many older DC-6 aircraft were replaced by the Douglas DC-7: those that survived into the Jet Age were replaced by Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 aircraft.

DC-6 after 60 years

2006 marked the 60th anniversary since the introduction of the DC-6. The March issue of ''Airliner World'' had an article about the aircraft.

★ About 100 DC-6s still fly (or are potentially capable of flight).

★ In 2002, 49 were fully active.

★ Two DC-6s were used as freighters by Atlantic Airlines, Coventry, UK (see website, none currently in use).

★ One is in use by Red Bull in Salzburg, Austria.

★ One DC-6 is in use by Namibia Commercial Aviation.

★ An unknown number are in use as freighters or waterbombers in Canada and Alaska.
Several DC-6s are preserved in museums. The most well-known is President Harry S. Truman's ''Independence'', which is preserved at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

Operators

Civil operators

;Current operators of the DC-6: Today, most DC-6's in commercial use are based in Alaska. Several other DC-6's are still in operation for small carriers in South America.

★

★
★ Atlantic Airlines, a cargo carrier based in Coventry, England.

★

★
★ Air Cargo Express

★
★ Everts Air Fuel

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★ Northern Air Cargo
;Historical operators of the DC-6:

★ : Aerolíneas Argentinas

★ : Sabena

★ : Panair do Brasil

★ : Canadian Pacific Air Lines

★ : Transocean

★ : LAN Chile

★ : TEAL

★ Greece: Olympic Airways

★ : Aviateca

★ Iran: Iran Air

★ : Alitalia

★ : Mexicana

★ : KLM

★ : TEAL

★ : Philippine Airlines

★ : TAP, SATA, TAIP

★ South Vietnam: Air Vietnam

★ : SAS

★ : Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Great Lakes Airlines, Capital Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Mackey Airlines, National Airlines, Northeast Airlines, Northwest Orient, Pan American World Airways, Trans American Airlines, United Airlines, Western Airlines

★ : Yemen Airlines

★ : JAT Jugoslovenski Aero Transport, Adria Airways

Military operators

★ : Argentine Air Force

★ : Belgian Air Force

★ : Bolivian Air Force

★ : Brazilian Air Force

★ : Chilean Air Force

★ : Chinese Nationalist Air Force

★ : Colombian Air Force

★ : Ecuadorian Air Force

★ : El Salvador Air Force

★ : French Air Force, French Navy

★ : Luftwaffe

★ : Guatemalan Air Force

★ : Honduran Air Force

★ : Italian Air Force

★ : Republic of Korea Air Force

★ : Mexican Air Force

★ : Royal New Zealand Air Force

★ : Paraguayan Air Force

★ : Peruvian Air Force

★ : Portuguese Air Force

★ : United States Air Force, United States Navy

★ South Vietnam: Vietnam Air Force

★ : Yugoslav Air Force

★ : Zambian Air Force

Specifications (DC-6B)

References

External links

★ DC-6 Images

★ Airliners.net on the DC-6

★ Images of an Australian DC-6

★ Oldprops.com Many Images

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