Commando 44-77548

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77548

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32944

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1480

FATE: Unknown

  December 1944 to September 1947

  44-77548 - USAAF (USA)

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December 1944

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

Assigned to the 9^th Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313^th Troop Carrier Group, 49^th Troop Carrier Squadron.

Marked "H2-L".

March 1945

Took part in Operation Varsity.

 

Right & below: 44-77548 on a paradrop mission, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: WWII Photos

  September 1947 to November 1965

  44-77548 - USAF (USA)

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18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 464^th Troop Carrier Group, 776^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Lawson AFB, GA.

2 June 1953

Received minor damage 8 km west of Lawson AFB, GA in a bird strike.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2577^th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Brooks AFB, TX.

12 April 1958

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

25 October 1961

Retrieved from storage and sent to the Middletown Air Materiel Area at Harrisburg-Olmsted AFB, PA for overhaul.

Returned to service with the 4400^th Combat Crew Training Squadron based at Eglin AFB, FL.

22 November 1964

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

  November 1965 to August 1966

  N52331 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)

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22 November 1965

Purchased.

20 January 1966

Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL. [AIIMF?]

  August 1966 to August 1967

  N52331 - TRADEWINDS CARGO INC. (USA)

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2 August 1966

Registered.

Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.

10 October 1966

Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.

  August 1967 to February 1970

  VT-DVQ - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)

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17 August 1967

Registered.

Operated by the Aviation Research Center (ARC) of India with the technical support of the CIA as part of operation Oak Tree.

Based at Charbatia AB, Odisha, India, flying clandestine missions over Chinese-occupied Tibet.

  February 1970 to April 1973

  44-77548 - USAF (USA)

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28 February 1970

Returned to the USAF.

Assigned to the 56^th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand.

1 April 1973

Struck off charge.

Fate unknown, probably never left India.