Cessna C-106 Loadmaster

Cessna · United States · first flew 1943 · transport aircraft

The Cessna C-106 Loadmaster was a twin-engine utility transport prototype developed during the Second World War to meet a US military requirement for a rugged cargo aircraft. It featured a high wing, a rear cargo door, and fixed undercarriage for simplicity.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Fixed undercarriage on a boxy utility fuselage — Cessna's wartime transport concept
T — Tail	Conventional

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WWII-era Cessna twin-engine high-wing utility transport prototype
Large cargo doors and high wing for easy freight loading
Fixed undercarriage on a boxy utility fuselage — Cessna's wartime transport concept

A large high-wing twin-engine transport prototype with a square-section fuselage and fixed undercarriage, notably larger than Cessna's typical output and quite different from contemporaneous production designs from the company.

Specifications

The Cessna C-106 Loadmaster has a length of 15.57 m (51 ft).
It has a wingspan of 19.71 m (65 ft).
Its maximum speed is 314 km/h (195 mph).
Typical crew: 2 plus cargo.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed in the early 1940s, the C-106 first flew in 1943 but was not selected for military production, as the established Curtiss C-46 and Douglas C-47 were already in large-scale service. Cessna's wartime production concentrated on the AT-17 Bobcat trainer. The C-106 remained a single prototype.

Variants

Only one prototype was built.

Where you'll see it

No operational service. Evaluated by the US military but not ordered.

Related aircraft

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