Douglas C-74 Globemaster

C-74 Globemaster
C-74 Globemaster at Long Beach, California
General information
Type	Strategic airlifter
Manufacturer	Douglas Aircraft Company
Status	Retired – 1959 (military), 1969 (civilian)
Primary users	United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force
Number built	14 (one converted to C-124 prototype)
History
Manufactured	1945–1947
First flight	5 September 1945
Retired	1969 (last operational flight)
Developed into	Douglas C-124 Globemaster II

The Douglas C-74 Globemaster was a United States heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. The aircraft was developed after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The long distances across the Atlantic and, especially, Pacific oceans to combat areas indicated a need for a transoceanic heavy-lift military transport aircraft. Douglas Aircraft Company responded in 1942 with a giant four-engined design. Development and production modifications issues with the aircraft caused the first flight to be delayed until 5 September 1945, after both V-J Day (marking the end of conflict in World War II, on August 15, 1945) and formal surrender on September 2. Total production was limited to 14 aircraft when the wartime contract was cancelled in January 1946.^[1]

Although not produced in large numbers, the C-74 did fill the need for a long-range strategic airlifter, in which capacity the subsequent Douglas C-124 Globemaster II was used by the Air Force for many years.