Commando 44-77470

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77470

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32866

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1402

FATE: Written off

  November 1944 to May 1947

  44-77470 - USAAF (USA)

28 November 1944

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

Assigned to the 8^th Air Force.

15 January 1945

Departed the USA for Europe.

Assigned to the 9^th Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313^th Troop Carrier Group, 29^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at RAF Folkingham, England.

24 March 1945

Damaged during Operation Varsity over Wesel, Germany.

20 July 1945

Returned from Europe to Bradley Field, CT.

27 March 1947

Salvage recommended at Bergstrom AAF, TX.

  May 1947 to April 1948

  44-77470 - WAR ASSETS ADMINISTRATION (USA)

7 May 1947

Transferred.

  April 1948 to July 1950

  N51738 - UNITED SERVICES FOR AIR INC. (USA)

5 April 1948

Purchased.

29 April 1948

Registered.

  July 1950 to August 1950

  N51738 - AIRCAR (AIR CARRIER SERVICE CORPORATION) (USA)

17 July 1950

Purchased.

  August 1950 to September 1951

  AP-ADU - CRESCENT AIR TRANSPORT (PAK AIRWAYS) (PAKISTAN)

August 1950

Purchased by Crescent Air Transport, operating as Pak Airways.

2 August 1950

Registered.

2 September 1951

Ferried from Pakistan to Miami, FL via Amsterday, Netherlands.

4 September 1952

Registration cancelled.

  September 1951

  N51738 - LAKEPORT CONSTRUCTION (USA)

8 September 1951

Purchased.

  September 1951 to October 1951

  N51738 - NEW YORK CAR WHEEL COMPANY (USA)

10 September 1951

Purchased.

13 September 1951

Registered.

  October 1951 to November 1951

  N51738 - R. PAUL WEESNER (USA)

13 October 1951

Purchased.

  November 1951 to January 1952

  N51738 - MIAMI AIRCRAFT & ENGINE SALES (USA)

1 November 1951

Purchased.

  January 1952 to February 1952

  N51738 - PENINSULAR AIR TRANSPORT (USA)

21 January 1952

Lease-purchased.

  February 1952 to January 1955

  N51738 - AERO MAINTENANCE INC. (USA)

2 February 1952

Operated for Peninsular Air Transport in the latter's colors.

18 August 1954

Owership transferred to Aero Maintenance.

Right: N51738 in Peninsular colors, Oakland, CA, May 1953.
Photo credit: Bill Larkins / Wikimedia Commmons

  January 1955 to March 1955

  N51738 - PENINSULAR AIR TRANSPORT (USA)

9 January 1955

Returned from Aero Maintenance.

  March 1955 to July 1955

  N51738 - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

23 March 1955

Purchased.

4 April 1955

Registered.

4 August 1955

Registration cancelled, exported to Canada.

  July 1955 to September 1956

  CF-IHR - WORLD WIDE AIRWAYS (CANADA)

13 July 1955

Lease-purchased by Montreal Air Services Ltd., to be operated by World Wide Airways.

15 August 1955

Delivered to Montreal, QC.

Operated in DEW (Defense Early Warning) Line support operations.

23 September 1956

Damaged beyond repair at DEW Line Site 28, Mackar Inlet, NWT in a landing accident (no fatalities).

The Commando was operating a DEW Line support flight and overrand the runway on landing. There were no injuries but the airplane's gear collapsed and it was damaged beyond repair. The accident location is also noted as 68°30'41" N, 83°12'19" W, which would be closer to DEW Line Site 29, Sarcpa Lake, NWT. The wreckage remained relatively intact in the 1960's, its current fate is unknown.

Left: CF-IHR's wreck on 3 May 1957.
Photo credit: L. S. Wilson / DEWLineAdventure

Below: the same in July 1961 with valuable parts now visibly salvaged: engines, props, radar and more.
Photo credit: Paul Kelley / ASN