Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair
The Aviation Traders Carvair was a spectacular car ferry conversion of the Douglas DC-4, recognisable by an oversized bulbous nose added ahead of the cockpit. The new nose opened sideways so cars could be loaded onto the main deck, while passengers sat behind them. The design was developed for the busy English Channel market before roll-on ferries made airborne car transport uneconomic. Only 21 Carvairs were made, and the aircraft’s shape is so unusual that it is often mistaken for a one-off experimental design.
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Did you know?
The Aviation Traders Carvair's oversized nose swings open sideways, a DC-4 conversion built to carry cars across the English Channel.
Specifications
| Length | 31 m (102 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 35.8 m (117 ft) |
| Height | 8.4 m (27 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 25 |
| Persons on board | 85 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 33.4 t |
| Range | 1,600 NM (2,963 km) |
| Maximum speed | 250 kt (463 km/h) |
| Stall speed | 81 kt (150 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 20,000 ft (6,096 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 14,000 ft (4,267 m) |
| Rate of climb | 650 ft/min (3.3 m/s) |
| Landing distance | 950 m (3,117 ft) |
| Engines | 4x Pratt & Whitney R-2000 |
| Units built | 21 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Aviation Traders, the ATL-98 Carvair family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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