Transport and Supply Aircraft
Transport and Supply Aircraft.The U.S. Army Air Corps' interest in transport airplanes started in 1925 by acquiring the Douglas C‐1, a single engine biplane with a maximum takeoff weight (Mtow) of 7400 pounds. In an airplane the figure for Mtow is similar to that of displacement tonnage for an oceangoing ship; it is the one figure that provides a definite measure of size and probable productivity. An airplane's payload is typically about 20 percent of its Mtow.
Built to Air Corps specifications, a C‐1 had seats for eight passengers; alternatively, it could carry 2000 lbs of cargo. A C‐1's range was 380 miles; its cruising speed 85 mph. This was the last transport prepared to an Air Corps specification for more than 15 years. Prior to World War II transport planes served the Air Corps' internal needs and rarely the Army at large so it was expedient to buy transports that had been designed for civilian airlines.
The demonstrated success...
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