THE DOUGLAS C-54

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The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was one of two four-engine aircraft used for hauling freight over the HUMP. The other was the Consolidated C-87/109. The addition of two more engines provided a certain degree of confidence in making the run over the HUMP. If one engine failed, there were three left to keep you in the air. Used mostly at the southern end of the range, the C-54 was best suited for missions where the peaks were lower and the distances greater. It could carry 34,000 lbs. of cargo which was usually in the form of 55 gallon drums of gasoline. The C-54 had a range of 3600 miles and a cruising speed of 190 mph. At the end of the war, the Skymaster was used to ferry occupation troops into Shanhai.

The C-54 found a place in ferrying both cargo and passengers for many years after the war. I myself had the opportunity to fly in one on an Air Force ROTC field trip as late as 1969. The plane had the side mounted web bucket seats. Probably the most miserable flight of my entire life.