75TH ANNIVERSARY BERLIN AIRLIFT - GIFT SET

The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was an American low-wing metal transport aircraft. The drive was provided by 4 Pratt and Whitney R-2000-9 radial engines with a power of 1450 KM each. The flight of the prototype took place in 1942, and serial production continued in 1942-1947, ending with the production of about 1,200 copies of this aircraft. The machine did not have a permanent armament. The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was created as a result of the reconstruction of the Douglas DC-4 passenger plane, in connection with the USAAF's need for a new transport plane with a greater range and lifting capacity of the C-47 Skytrain. Many development versions of this very successful aircraft were created in the course of serial production. One of the first was the C-54B with increased fuel tanks, which improved the flight range. Shortly thereafter, the SC-54D appeared, intended for sea rescue operations. A version of the MC-54M, i.e. an aircraft adapted for medical evacuation, was also created. Douglas C-54 Skymaster aircraft were already in service during World War II, often serving to transport such personalities as Prime Minister Winston Churchill or President FD Roosevelt. After 1945, it still remained the primary transportation component of the USAAF, playing a major role during the blockade of Berlin in 1948-1949. They also served during the Korean War (1950-1953), but afterwards they were systematically replaced by Douglas C-124 Globemaster II planes. The last Douglas C-54 Skymaster were withdrawn from the line in 1972.