C-118A “Liftmaster”
SERIAL NUMBER:
SPECIFICATIONS:
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Wing Span — 117'6"
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Length — 105'7"
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Height — 28'5"
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Maximum Speed — 361 M.P.H. at Sea Level
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Service Ceiling — 31,000 Ft.
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Range — 3,860 Miles
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Crew/Passengers — 6 crew, 55 to 100 passengers
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Engines — 4 x 2,500 H.P. Pratt & Whitney R-2800radial engines
The C-118 is an improved version of the C-54. Like the C-54 it was originally designed as the Douglas DC-6 airliner. Using the same wing as the C-54, the C-118's fuselage was lengthened and the aircraft has been re-engined with the more powerful 2,500 h.p. Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines. This allowed the C-118 to carry up to 12,500 lbs of cargo.
Our C-118 has seen service with almost every branch of service in the U.S. military. It was built for the Air Force in 1951 and given serial number 51-17651. Later it was transferred into service with the Navy where it was assigned Bureau number 131602. In 1984, the Liftmaster was flown to the Travis Air Museum from the U.S. Army's Balistics Research Lab, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.
Our C-118 was in such good shape for the flight to Travis, all it needed was "fuel, oil and a crew:' The C-118 was flown to Travis by a Navy crew, and the entire cost of this recovery was donated by Major S. R. "Ridge" Prevost III.
Travis Heritage Center's C-119G
Information derived from, “Travis Heritage Center” by Nick Veronico, copyright Travis AFB Historical Society and Travis AFB Heritage Center Foundation.
This book is available from the Travis Heritage Center gift shop.