Freshly completed is a 1/72 Heller C-118A Liftmaster, the USAF military DC-6A by Douglas Aircraft. This aircraft is dressed to look like a Military Airlift Command (MAC) C-118A, circa 1960's.

The DC-6 began life as an improved C-54 Skymaster for the USAAF's Air Transport Command in the closing months of WWII. Designated the XC-112, it was originally intended to take the unpressurized fuselage and wings of the DC-4 and equip it with Pratt and Whitney R-2800 radials instead of the R-2000. Feeling they could improve the design, Douglas created the XC-112A by stretching the fuselage fore and aft of the wings, changing the structure and alloy of the wings to save 800lbs of weight, and enlarging the tail.

With the war over, the USAAF lost interest in the XC-112A, giving Douglas a change to reenter the civil airline market. Christened the DC-6 (Douglas Commercial Model 6), the "six" was ordered in large numbers by United and American Airlines, who were denied the opportunity to purchase the Lockheed Constellation because of TWA's stipulation of not allowing Lockheed to sell the L-049 to any transcontinental airline. The original "six" entered service in 1947, and despite a brief grounding due to two fires, one of which was fatal, had a long and productive career.

Looking at the lucrative military market Douglas took the original DC-6 fuselage and stretched it five feet forward of the wing. Equipping more powerful 2,500HP R-2800 CB-16/17 radials gave birth to the DC-6A Liftmaster, which first flew in 1949. The Liftmaster would later be the basis for the passenger carrying DC-6B, one of the greatest propliners ever built.

The USAF, now independent from the Army in 1947 ordered 101 DC-6A's as the C-118A Liftmaster, the US Navy following with an order for 65 as the R6D-1 (Later C-118B after 1962). Deliveries began in 1951 and concluded in 1956 for the USAF. Liftmasters served in MATS (Military Air Transport Service) and later MAC (MATS reorganized in 1966) on long haul routes for the USAF. When later, larger aircraft such as the C-133, C-135, C-141, and C-5 entered the picture, the C-118 was relegated to shorter haul routes. Military DC-6's served with the USAF until retired around 1975, Navy and Marine Corps operations continuing until the early 1980's. The military Liftmasters were mothballed and some found use in civil hands due to the combination of cost, load hauling and reliability.

Even to this day, DC-6's continue to fly cargo in Alaska and Canada, holding the test of time through their reliability and versatility.