The C-46 was developed from the new and unproven
commercial aircraft design, the CW-20, which first flew in March
1940. Deliveries of the AAF C-46s began in July 1942 for the Air
Transport Command and Troop Carrier Command. During WW II, the
AAF accepted 3,144 C-46s for hauling cargo and personnel and for
towing gliders.
The C-46A, D, and F models were used in
Korea, and a few aircraft were used by Air Force Special Air
Warfare Center in the early years of the Vietnam War. C-46s were
in limited Air Force service as late as 1969. Many went into
civilian hands after World War II, and a fair number are still
in use today.
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