Academy 1/144 Douglas C-54 Skymaster Transport Aircraft US Air Force # 12652

SKU

ACD12652

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The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was one of the most important long-range transport aircraft operated by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and later the United States Air Force.

Developed from the civilian Douglas DC-4 airliner, the C-54 became a backbone of Allied global logistics during the Second World War and continued serving well into the Cold War.

Development & Design
First flown in 1942, the C-54 was designed as a four-engine, long-range transport capable of carrying heavy cargo, troops, or VIP passengers across intercontinental distances.

Unlike smaller twin-engine transports, the Skymaster offered greater range, reliability, and payload capacity — making it ideal for global operations.

Key Specifications:

Engines: 4 × Pratt & Whitney R-2000 radial engines
Crew: Typically 4 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator)
Capacity:
- Up to 50 troops, or
- 28 fully equipped paratroopers,
- Approx. 10,000 kg of cargo
Range: Around 3,900 km (depending on load)
Maximum speed: Approx. 275 mph (445 km/h)

World War II Service
The C-54 played a crucial role in long-distance supply routes:
- Trans-Atlantic ferry flights
- Pacific theatre logistics
- Transporting personnel and high-priority cargo
- Medical evacuation missions

It was instrumental in establishing reliable air bridges between continents, dramatically improving Allied mobility.

One of the most famous C-54s, nicknamed “Sacred Cow,” served as a presidential transport aircraft for Franklin D. Roosevelt and later Harry S. Truman — effectively an early predecessor of today’s Air Force One fleet.

Berlin Airlift (1948–1949)
After WWII, the C-54 became the primary aircraft used during the Berlin Airlift. When the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin, C-54s flew continuous missions delivering:
- Food
- Coal
- Medicine
- Essential supplies

Flying in tightly scheduled rotations, these aircraft helped sustain the city for nearly a year. The Berlin Airlift cemented the Skymaster’s reputation as a symbol of humanitarian airpower.

Operational Legacy
The C-54 remained in USAF service into the 1950s and also served with the U.S. Navy (as the R5D), as well as numerous allied and civilian operators worldwide.

Its civil counterpart, the DC-4, became a mainstay of post-war commercial aviation.

More Information

More Information
SKU	ACD12652
Manufacturer	Academy
Scale	1/144
Short Description	The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engine transport aircraft developed from the civilian DC-4, designed to provide long-range heavy transport for the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War Two. Used extensively in the Pacific, European, and China-Burma-India theatres, transporting troops, equipment, and fuel, often over hostile territory. After the war the C-54 flew sustained high-frequency supply missions in the Berlin Airlift, along with Douglas Dakota, Avro York and Short Sunderland types, and formed the basis for later long-range transport designs. Reissued Minicraft kit. 4 sprues plus clear parts. Choice of markings for 6 aircraft: (1) C-54 of the ATC (Air Transport Command), USAF, 1943. (2) C-54 of the ATC (Air Transport Command), USAF, 1944-45. (3) VC-54C Sacred Cow, the first U.S. presidential aircraft, used for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's flight to the Yalta Conference in Crimea in 1945. (4) C-54B EW-999 (43-14126), used for the flight of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Sir Winston Churchill, to the Yalta Conference in 1945. (5) VC-54E 44-9027, "Bataan II", personal flight of 1st Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, General Douglas McArthur, used for his arrival in Japan, 1945. (6) Air America, C-54G N2168, operated on regional missions between Korea, Japan, and Vietnam during the early 1960s.