The C-54 Skymaster

From the outset of Operation Vittles, it was clear to Air Force commanders that C-47s could not haul enough cargo to overcome the Soviet blockade of Berlin. Accordingly, one of the first requisitions US Air Forces in Europe made to the Pentagon was for additional C-54 Skymasters. The aircraft could haul more cargo in less time than the older C-47s. As greater amounts of food and fuel arrived in Berlin, the Douglas C-54 Skymaster established itself as the backbone of the Combined Airlift Task Force.