Curtiss-Wright C-76 Caravan

The Curtiss-Wright C-76 Caravan (company designation CW-27) was an American all-wood military transport aircraft.

The C-76 was intended as a substitute standard aircraft in the event of expected wartime shortages of light alloys.

However, both prototype and production aircraft failed several critical flight and static tests, and after U.S. aluminium production proved sufficient for wartime defence requirements, orders for the C-76 were cancelled and production terminated.

Variants

YC-76

Prototypes, 11 built.

C-76

Production aircraft built at St Louis, five built.

YC-76A

Production variant, nine built.

C-76A

Production variant, order for 175 cancelled, none built.

Specifications

Crew

3

Capacity

45 troops

Length

68 ft 4 in (20.83 m)

Wingspan

108 ft 2 in (32.97 m)

Height

27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)

Wing area

1,560 sq ft (145 m²)

Empty weight

18,300 lb (8,301 kg)

Gross weight

28,000 lb (12,701 kg)

Powerplant

2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder,

1,200 hp (890 kW) each

Propellers

3-bladed constant-speed propellers

Performance

Maximum speed

192 mph (309 km/h, 167 kn) at 7,300 ft (2,200 m)

Range

750 mi (1,210 km, 650 nmi)

Service ceiling

22,600 ft (6,900 m)

Time to altitude

10,000 ft (3,000 m) in 12 minutes 30 seconds.