January Mystery Airplane Contest

The Army Air Force needed dedicated transports, rather than adaptations of civilian airliners, to support airborne operations. These aircraft would have to carry large, sometimes bulky loads and be easy to load and unload. The wooden Curtiss C-76 Caravan and the stainless-steel Budd RB-1 Conestoga were designed with those needs in mind, but Fairchild got it right with its twin-boom C-82 Packet. Powered by a pair of 2100 hp

Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radials, the Packet had a 2870 cubic foot cargo compartment and could hold 44 paratroopers or most of the Army's vehicles.

First flown on 10 September...