Atterbury Army Air Base Photographs : c-46
|
View of a C-46 cockpit with a crewmember, and a cockpit view looking at both controls. A C-46 on the ramp at Atterbury Army Air Base and over the wing of one C-46 looking at another one. An interior view of the C-46's cargo area.
These 1951 photographs courtesy of Norman LaMaster, Columbus, Indiana. 
|
|
An iced up C46 crash landed at Bakalar Air Force Base, lands short at Bakalar Air Force Base and hits railroad tracks. According to reports the C-46 had about two inches of ice on the wings and on final approach did not quite make the runway. Reports state that the C-46 crew sort of bounced out of the cockpit through the broken nose, but were mostly unhurt, except for their dignity.
|
The C-46 Curtiss "Commando" aircraft
|
The C-46 Curtiss "Commando" aircraft the same type the pilot broke on landing at Bakalar Air Force Base in the mid 1950's.
C-46 SPECIFICATIONS Span: 108 ft. 0 in. Length: 76 ft. 4 in. Height: 22 ft. 0 in. Weight: 51,000 lbs. max. Armament: None Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800s, 2,000 hp ea. Cost: $233,000 PERFORMANCE Maximum speed: 245 mph. Cruising speed: 175 mph. Range: 1,200 miles Service Ceiling: 27,600 ft. |
A 1949 photo of Brigadier General Lacy Murrow, 434th Troop Carrier Wing Commander, and LTC Howard Cloud, Jr. at a Fort Benjamin Harrison 10th Air Force reception.
BG Lacy Murrow, his brother, famed newsman Edward R. Murrow, and Colonel Ronan at the Atterbury Air Base
BG Murrow and Edward R. Murrow with an unknown officer in the background. LTC Cloud and Colonel Ronan were at one time, Atterbury Air Base commanders.
December 1955 air photo of Bakalar Air Force Base. Note the C-46 aircraft on the ramp. If you notice the rail road tracks near the bottom of the photographs, these are the ones that the C-46 crash landed on pictured at the top of this page.
|
T-152 lighted wind direction indicator at Bakalar Air Force Base photo taken in 1955. You can locate the wind-T's location on the air photo of the base. It is the small gray object just in front of the C-46s on the ramp and to the left of the runway.
|
Building T-93 Hanger with a 434th C-46 inside
These C-46 photographs are from the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum historical files but are not currently identified as from the former air base. Can you help us identify the people, location, and dates? Also, can you identify the aircraft types in the background of the first photograph. There is an AT-6 and other types.
|
This photo shows Colonel (Ret.) Bill Murchie, a 434th officer stationed at the base during his career, standing next to Santa in front of a 434th C-46 aircraft during 1951, when the wing was activated. Santa probably needed some 434th Troop Carrier support that season.
|
|
These photographs were taken around 1960 and were provided by Norman LaMaster.
LaMaster pictured next to the cargo door of a C-47. |
|
A C-47 on the ramp at Bakalar Air Force Base.
|
|
James Lile and Fred Farness in the maintenance hanger
|
Mathis & Boyles at the cargo door, Tail view of a C-47 on the ramp at Bakalar Air Force Base, Fred Mathis and Boyles. and a C-47
There were two C-45 aircraft assigned to the air base according to former base staff. During the 1950s, 900 C-45s were rebuilt for the Air Force, received new serial number,s and were designated C-45Gs and C-45Hs. The C-45s were used for administrative and light cargo duties. This is the military version of the Beechcraft Model 18. They had two Pratt & Whitney R-985, 450 hp engines, and a cruising speed of 150 mph.
Photos from National Museum of the Air Force, see original photos HERE >
West Virginia Air National Guard P-51s of the 167th Fighter Squadron on the ramp at Atterbury Army Air Base during a training exercise.
From August 24 through September 4, 1948, the 167th Fighter Squadron held their first field training at Atterbury Army Air Base, Columbus, Indiana. The 167th Kentucky and West Virginia Air National Guard and the West Virginia detachment of the 223rd Air Service Group attended this training.
As the 123rd Fighter Group, with its squadrons from Kentucky and West Virginia, completed the first "summer camp," a special "Governor's Day" was staged. The luncheon was held at Columbus, Indiana, with Governor Earle C. Clements (Kentucky), Ralph F. Gates (Indiana), and Clarence W. Meadows (West Virginia) as guests. Air Guardsmen encamped at Atterbury Field numbered about 600, the adjutants general of the states including Major General Roscoe L. Murray of Kentucky, and invited guests including the commander of the 1st Air Force, Major General Robert M. Webster, the head of National Guard Bureau, Major General Kenneth F. Cramer, and Brigadier General E. H. Zistel, commander of the parent 55th Fighter Wing.
From August 24 through September 4, 1948, the 167th Fighter Squadron held their first field training at Atterbury Army Air Base, Columbus, Indiana. The 167th Kentucky and West Virginia Air National Guard and the West Virginia detachment of the 223rd Air Service Group attended this training.
As the 123rd Fighter Group, with its squadrons from Kentucky and West Virginia, completed the first "summer camp," a special "Governor's Day" was staged. The luncheon was held at Columbus, Indiana, with Governor Earle C. Clements (Kentucky), Ralph F. Gates (Indiana), and Clarence W. Meadows (West Virginia) as guests. Air Guardsmen encamped at Atterbury Field numbered about 600, the adjutants general of the states including Major General Roscoe L. Murray of Kentucky, and invited guests including the commander of the 1st Air Force, Major General Robert M. Webster, the head of National Guard Bureau, Major General Kenneth F. Cramer, and Brigadier General E. H. Zistel, commander of the parent 55th Fighter Wing.
F-51s from the 123 Fighter Group that trained at Atterbury Army Air Field during the summer of 1948. Museum Volunteer Ernie Schorr was an F-51 pilot and F86 Sabre Jet pilot with the Kentucky Air National Guard after his service as a P-47 fighter pilot during WWII.
Here are some articles from the May 27, 1957 The Wing Script newspaper published by the 2466th Air Reserve Flying Center, Bakalar Air Force Base. Copies of this publication are very rare.
|
|
|
|