Commando 44-77545

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77545

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32941

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1477

FATE: Stored

  December 1944 to September 1947

  44-77545 - USAAF (USA)

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December 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

Early 1945

Assigned to the 9^th Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313^th Troop Carrier Group, 48^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Grevillers-Achiet (B-54), France.

Marked "Z7".

24 March 1945

Damaged during Operation Varsity over Wesel, Germany.

  September 1947 to March 1965

  44-77545 - USAF (USA)

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18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, 140^th Aeromedical Transport Squadron (Medium) based at Spaatz Field, PA.

Marked "ANG545".

7 August 1958

Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

27 June 1962

Sent to reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

 

Right: 44-77545 wearing an obsolete serial, seen at Winslow, AZ in October 1957.
Photo credit: Ted Miley / Airliners.net

  March 1965 to March 1972

  N32227 - C-46 PARTS INC. (USA)

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2 March 1965

Purchased less engines from USAF. Total airframe time 3,792 hours.

24 April 1969

Registered.

7 April 1972

Registration cancelled, exported to Bolivia.

  March 1972 to mid-1970's

  CP-973 - AEROVIAS LAS MINAS (BOLIVIA)

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3 March 1972

Purchased.

Used as a meat carrier.

  Mid-1970's to 1993

  CP-973 - TRANSPORTES AEREOS BOLIVAR (BOLIVIA)

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Mid-1970's

Purchased.

Still used as a meat carrier.

Late 1980's

Withdrawn from use and stored at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia.

 

Left: a worn-out CP-973 at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia on 24 January 1986.
Photo credit: NJP / Airliners.net

Below: the same now engineless at La Paz on 3 November 1992.
Photo credit: Peter M. Garwood / Airliners.net

  1993 to 2001

  CP-973 - FRIGORIFICO SANTA RITA (BOLIVIA)

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1993

Purchased.

Still used as a meat carrier.

2000

Withdrawn from use and stored.

 

Below: CP-973 now operational again as a meat carrier, La Paz, 21 September 1997.
Photo credit: Andy Martin / Airliners.net

  2001 to present

  CP-973 - LINEAS AEREAS CANEDO (BOLIVIA)

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2001

Purchased.

2002

Ferried to Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Restoration into a plush 32-seat passenger aircraft  with zero-time Double Wasp CB-16 engines and Hamilton Standard 33E60 props.

18 July 2009

First post-restoration flight.

Offered for passenger charters with little success.

Put up for sale for US$550,000, total time airframe 12,865 hours.

2012

Grounded by Bolivian CAA following the fatal accident of CP-1319 (Commando 44-78605).

Stored in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

16 April 2023

Still visible on satellite images parked at 17°25'01.65" S / 66°10'18.85" W.

 

Top row, left: CP-973 with its first paintjob during restoration, 12 March 2006, Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Photo credit: Michael Prophet / Airliners.net

Top row, right & middle row, left: CP-973 with its new paint job, getting ready for its first flight, 16 April 2009.
Photo credit: Propfreak / Airliners.net & Flickr

Middle row, right: now grounded in Cochabamba, with paint showing its age, 23 October 2015.
Photo credit: Steve Brimley / Airliners.net

Bottom row, left: CP-973's plush cabin.
Photo credit: Michael Blank / Jetphotos.net

Bottom row, right: the mechanic still taking care of his grounded bird, Cochabamba, 14 January 2015.
Photo credit: Robert Domandl / Airliners.net