09/30/2008. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Anticipating a critical shortage of metal the all-wooden CW-27 assault transport was conceived by Dean C. Smith, Director of Transport Contracts at the Curtiss-Wright Airplane Division.

In March 1942 construction of a new plant started at a location near Louisville, Kentucky, USA and the first of five C-76 prototypes (s/n 42-86913 to 42-86917) was flown on January 5, 1943. They were followed by eleven YC-76 evaluation aircraft (s/n 42-86918 to 42-86928) and nine modified YC-76A evaluation aircraft (s/n 42-86929 to 42-86937).

When the acute shortage of metals failed to materialize the production was halted by the USAAF and an order for 175 C-76A production aircraft (s/n 42-86929 to 42-87112) was cancelled. The newly built factory was put to use in the manufacture of the C-46."