The C-82 was a large twin-engine, twin-boom, high-winged troop and
cargo transport that entered service just after the war ended, in
September 1945. As as result, the Packet was not built in large
numbers, only 223 being constructed. It's most noteworthy service was a
handful being used in the Berlin airlift. The plane was not considered
very reliable and the airframe was overstressed by the maximumm rated
load; within a few years the plane was replaced by the much superior
C-119.
The stats below are for the paratrooper role. For emergency
evacuations, it could be packed with 78 people. Paratroopers exited
from a door in the left rear of the body. The rear of the body opened
for easy cargo loading.
The most famous popular appearance of the C-82 was in the novel Flight of the Phoenix and the 1965
movie based on it.
The C-82 has a crew of three: Pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer.
The Packet uses 157 gallons of aviation fuel per
hour at routine
usage.
Subassemblies: Heavy Bomber chassis +5, Large
Bomber
Wings +4, 2xSmall TD Engine Pods +3, three retractable wheels +2.
Powertrain: 2x1,567-kW aerial HP supercharged gasoline
engines [Pods] with 2x1,567-kW props, and 2,220-gallon self-sealing
fuel tanks [Wings], 4,000-kw batteries
Occupancy: 3 CS, 42 PS Cargo: None.
Armor
All: 2/3
Equipment
Body: Large radio receiver and transmitter, navigation
instruments,
autopilot.
Statistics
| Size: 77'x107'x26' | Payload: 11.6 tons | Lwt: 27 tons |
| Volume: 920 |
Maint.: 17 hours | Price: $139,400 |
HT: 8.
HP: 1,100 [body], 1,000 [each wing], 285 [each pod], 100 [each
wheel]
| aSpeed: 250 |
aAccel: 3 |
aDecel: 26 |
aMR: 6.5 |
aSR: 3 |
Stall: 84 |
Design Notes
Design speed was 238 mph. The historical speed has been used, as well
as the actual wing area (1,400 square feet). In the end, loaded
weight was increased by 3%
Space was tight in the design and empty space from the engines pods
was used to partially house the landing gear and 4 VSP from ths chassis
was used for the wing fuel tanks.
In the cargo role, it can carry 210 VSP of equipment, to a maximum
takeoff weight of 27 tons. In some cases, this may require a short load
of fuel.
To reflect the unreliability, HT has been reduced by one.