CAF C-46 China Doll

CAF Curtiss C-46F N5359V (China Doll) fired up her Pratt & Whitney R-2800-51 engines at Camarillo airport, CA for a morning training flight (2001)

[@indebtperhapsiam8893]

I've been around this plane for well over a decade now and I've never seen it fly. But every day I still pass it on the road.

[@mattd1142]

I have never seen an air plane get towed with engines running before. I can only imagine the prop wash. Not to mention the oil shower you’ll get considering they haven’t been running for that long

[@cidertom5140]

That has to be the cleanest startup I’ve ever seen from radials

[@dalecomer5951]

My dad worked for Slick Airways and Flying Tiger Lines at their co-located facilities at BUR in the early fifties. Did numerous overhauls on Slick's C-46F. Did some line work at FTL and very likely worked on C-GTPO (Buffalo Airways) when FTL operated it as N1258N.

[@JBAutomotive794]

My Grandfather, Ed Thomas, was one of the Camarillo crew that put so much TLC into this plane to get her back into the air. He really loved this ol' girl and was very proud of it. I remember walking with him threw it as a young kid. the last time I saw her, in person, was just after we watched the missing man formation flyover during his memorial service at the airport after he passed away. I never got to fly with him, but maybe I'll go for a ride one day in China Doll, in his Honor. Thank you CAF and all of it's supporters for keeping alive these amazing machines in honor of the Greatest Generation. Semper, Mint Julep!

[@MJLeger-yj1ww]

You are lucky you got to walk through the aircraft -- that Curtiss C-46F was a great old bird! It had that unusual line on its fuselage that made it identifiable. I always though it looked like the plane was pursing its lips! I would have loved to see it take off in the above video.

[@brettlloyd4446]

Gotta love those r2800 engines

[@yorrs001]

I love the C 46 it is imposing. hand how unique is the sound of star motors. Beautiful video. (Me encanta el C 46 es imponente. Y que único es el sonido de los motores en estrella. Hermoso video)

[@CaliforniaFly]

I was at Camarillo around 2012 or so for a static display of a FedEx Caravan. Nice airshow. I stopped by China Doll and asked if she was going to be in the fly-bys. The guy just said nope. I found out a few months later that the airplane had been grounded due to corrosion. I hope I'm wrong.

[@2098elk]

In a previous life in So Cal knew a guy who crewed on this plane. Can't recall his name at the moment but used to go to the Brass Monkey in Los Angeles. Visited the plane outside of Bakersfield at an air show. Fan of the Tigers and the Hump pilots.

[@joelksvca]

I remember getting a tour of this aircraft as a child, back when it was part of the "Confederate Air Force", Camarillo, CA. Later, I lived 5 mins. away from that same airport. Small world...

[@EdWhisenantAviation]

I've always loved seeing China Doll flying in & out of airshows and always tried to get a flight, My friend Wayne Frank has flown in it. I hope they get her flying again.

[@machia0705]

Why did the C-46 have a bad reputation by some? I never understood the reason. Some pilots loved her, others said it was vastly inferior to the C-47.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

machia0705 It carried a much larger load and did not have the visibility of the C47 and the fuel plumbing was a problem, a source of many fires, and since it was a bigger plane a little harder to fly.

[@machia-mw1lm]

Thanks for the info , two years late ! Lol Thanks .

[@zanfly]

This brings back memories my father owned 39 of these. Dg Zantop

[@adrianzamora1426]

What a beauty!

[@brettlloyd4446]

C46 uses two r2800 engines, same in f4u corsair

[@miked202069]

I remember doing run ups on the DC-6's at Zantop. Pulling takeoff power with the doors and windows open. Those were the days.

[@johnfranklinmayorquinlanza358]

En el museo del aire en Tegucigalpa, Honduras hay un ejemplar en exhibición.

[@CSM_Gray]

I'm proud to own a group of items from a Marine pilot who flew these in the Pacific.

[@dalecomer5951]

Like Tyrone Power who flew many medevac flights during WWII.

[@Rizzard_of_ozzzz]

I ate subway in that very plane!! I work at the CAF so

[@pbellbell]

Lov thes ole gals.

[@tarciscalixto]

CANAL cata lata Calixto. Monte pegador de latinhas, garrafas pet etc usando cano pvc

[@user-jk4xj6fx5w]

再見它C一46機種,萬分親切興奮我部隊完訓,執行各種任務.飞行1500小時三階段等級,全島金馬外島起降頻繁,直到全球淘換c一119机種,

[@user-yy4zz6bu6c]

Шикарный красавец! Похож на касатку!!!

[@petemangum4542]

My uncle flew this plane in WWII and said it was an under-powered piece of shit.