Commando 44-77982

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77982

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33378

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1914

FATE: Unknown

  March 1945 to September 1947

  44-77982 - USAAF (USA)

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March 1945

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

  September 1947 to August 1963

  44-77982 - USAF (USA)

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18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 3075^th Aircraft Ferry Squadron based at Tinker AFB, OK.

4 March 1949

Received major damage at Wold-Chamberlain Field, MN in a takeoff accident due to mechanical failure.

Pilot: Charles G. Herrick (survived, went on to fly in Korea, later died in an Air America Commando crash in Laos)

Unknown date

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

3 May 1958

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

2 February 1959

Sent to reclamation, then removed from surplus list.

23 August 1963

Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL.

28 August 1963

Assigned to the 1045^th Operational Evaluation and Training Group, effectively the CIA's air arm.

Supplied to foreign country under the Military Assistance Program.

  August 1963 to February 1964

  N10708 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)

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3 July 1963

Registered.

August 1963

Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.

Unknown date

Test-flown by Capt. Connie Seigrist out of Marana, AZ.

10 January 1964

Ferried to India via Bahrain.

5 June 1964

Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.

  February 1964 to February 1970

  VT-DRT - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)

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22 February 1964

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

  44-77982 - 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.