"Camarillo Commando" CAMARILLO'S OFFICIAL AIRCRAFT
Also known as "China Doll"
Curtiss-Wright C-46 "China Doll"
Served in WW II, Korean War, Vietnam War
Wingspan of 108'
Weight: 30,669 lbs.
Length: 76' - 4"
Height: 21' - 9"
This was the first airplane assigned to the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Museum, in 1981. The "China Doll" was one of 234 C-46F's built at the Curtiss plant in Buffalo, NY. The plane rolled off the assembly line in July 1945. Early assignments included the Sedalia Army Air Base (now Whiteman AFB, home of the B-2 bomber), in Greenville SC, Brookey AL, and other bases in the US. The plane was used as a transport and glider tow plane, and flew with the military until the early 1950's.
After being surplused and sold to Meteor Air Transport (NJ), she was given the new number N53594, a new civilian paint scheme, and was put to work hauling clothing to Detroit, and auto parts back to New Jersey. She was even used as a Christmas holiday transport, hauling toys and Santa sleighs. A radio remote was broadcast from the plane over New York City during one Christmas Eve.
Meteor went out of business in 1958, after which the plane changed hands many times. The last civilian owner was Plymouth Leasing of Detroit, who leased the plane to Rosenbaum Aviation, which drilled holes in her sides, installed spray booms on her wings, and used her as a pinecone beetle sprayer. [More ...]
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