Douglas C-74 Globemaster
The Douglas C -74 Globemaster was developed at the request of the United States Army Air Forces from 1942 to a transport aircraft for transatlantic routes.
Development
At the time of the first flight of the Globemaster was with 78 tons maximum takeoff weight, the heaviest land plane in the world. With its four Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major radial engines they could carry 125 fully equipped troops.
As a special feature, she received the same cockpit as the Douglas XB -40 with separate hoods for pilot and co-pilot, but it was not particularly popular with the crews and earned her the nickname Bug -Eye (English insect eye ) earned. Therefore, the cockpit was later provided with a conventional hood. And the machine was more powerful engines over time.
Since the first flight only took place on September 5, 1945 and the machine is therefore suitable for use in the Second World War came too late, production ceased in January 1946 after only 14 machines. Also, the plans for a civilian version was completed.
During the Berlin Airlift, which was supported by the Americans with C -74, C -54 and C-47, it was found that a serious strategic transporter was required. Then a C -74 was transformed into a prototype for the C -124 Globemaster II, which had the same wings and engines as the first Globemaster, but a much larger fuselage.
The C -124 Globemaster I replaced the very fast, so the last C -74 were scrapped in the 1960s and 1970s.