The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-16
New Wood Transport
 Soon Will Be Tested
First for Army Air Forces Nearly Completed; Others
 in Production By Curtiss-Wright Corp.

The first military transport plane of the present war to be built almost entirely of wood and other non- strategic materials is nearing com pletion in a plant of the Airplane Division of Curtiss-W Wright Corpora ton somewhere in Missouri" and will shortly undergo flight tests, 1t was announced late yesterday by Burdette c. Wright, of Buffalo, vice president of the organization and general manager of its Airplane Division. Other transports of the same type already are in production he said.
 The new lair freightcr," named the Curtiss (C-76) Caravan. was designed by Curtiss-W Wright engin- eers to be built of wood and to be used by the U. s. Army Air Forces in transporting troops and vital cargo over the rapidly expanding supply routes extending to widely scattered battle fronts. The first American military cargo plane to be designed in the present war, it is the second transport type to be put into production this year by Curtiss- Wright Corporation, the other being the all-metal Curtiss (C-46) Com mando-the worlds largest twin engined airliner.
 In the first description of the new Caravan approved by the War De- partment for publication, MT, Wright said that 1t is basically an all-wood airplane combining nodded plywood, laminates and plain lum- ber.. Every wood-fabricating process contributing to rapid production is being employed. Since 65 per cent of the production of this type is sub- contracted to the wood industry-a source of labor, machinery and skill not closely identified with the war effort until recent months--its con- struction has minimum effect on existing aircraft production.
 The new, giant lair freighter" is a high-wing monoplane, has wing spsn of 108 feet Approximately that of the giant Commando, is 68 feet long and is powered with two l,200 horsepower engines. It is equipped with landing gear of the retractable tricycle. type assuring its maximum maneuverability on small landing fields and Is built so that Its cargo floor Is only 36 inches from the ground, thus facilitating its rapid loading and unloading of cargo.
 The control compartment of the Caravan is situated above the for ward section of the cargo space and accommodates a crew of pilot and co-pilot but offers provisions for including Q radio operator when de- sired. The cargo section will acom- modate any component part of Q plane except the fuselage and car- ries cable to which the release cord of a paratrooper's parachute may be attached. Each plane can be equipped with fittings for towing gliderS.
 While MT. Wright omitted any de- tails of the new planes cargo ca- pacity and performance, he said 1t has a low-landing speed, excellent take-off, moderate range and cruis- ing speed. Basically. he pointed out, 1t possesses maximum efficiency as Q low-stalling speed plane for trans porting paratroops, air-borne task forces, field artillery and other mill itary cargo over short runs of from 600 to TOO miles with frequent stops.
 To illustrate the importance of military transport, planes with low speed landing characteristics in present warfare, MT, Wright recalled how the German Air Force used JU-52s as cargo planes in the battle of Crete, "mushing" them through treetops and deliberately sacrificing them in order to deliver urgently needed supplies to ground forces without delay. The new Caravan. he explained. can be landed in such an emergency with the prospects of being damaged less than cargo plane types possessing higher speeds.
 The Caravan is particularly well suited, MT. Wright said. for opera ton in areas where there are little or no facilities for repairing metal airplanes such as In Alaska or in f,atin Amarica If is eSnaciallv