Commando 44-78052
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-78052
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33448
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1984
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
March 1945 to September 1947
44-78052 - USAAF (USA)
March 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
September 1947 to September 1963
44-78052 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Assigned to the 516th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, 346th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium based in Memphis, TN.
8 February 1952
Received major damage at Wheeler-Sack AAF, NY in a landing accident.
Pilot: Harold M. Ludlow (survived, went on to fly in the Korean War and retired a USAF Major)
Unknown date
Assigned to the Califonia Air National Guard, 129th Air Resupply Squadron based at Hayward, CA.
16 April 1958
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
19 September 1963
Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL.
1 October 1963
Assigned to the 1045th Operational Evaluation and Training Group, effectively the CIA's air arm.
Supplied to foreign country under the Military Assistance Program.
September 1963 to July 1964
N10705 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)
8 August 1963
Registered.
September 1963
Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.
28 February to 30 March 1964
Assigned to Intermountain Aviation for high altitude takeoff tests in order to provide performance charts to the Ministry of External Affairs of India which intended to use its Commandos in the Himalayas. Equipped with a 1,000-USGal tank filled with water to test various takeoff weights. Tests performed in Albuquerque, NM (5,350ft), Bogota, Colombia (8,000ft) and La Paz, Bolivia (13,300ft).
Crew:
Capt. Connie Seigrist of Air America, Captain
Capt. Gearke, First Officer
Garfield Thorsrud, Test Supervisor
Robert E. Roberts, Intermountain Aviation President, Performance Engineer
5 June 1964
Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.
July 1964 to February 1970
VT-DRY - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)
22 July 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
44-78052 - USAF (USA)
28 February 1970
Returned to the USAF.
Assigned to the 56th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand.
1 April 1973
Struck off charge.
Fate unknown, probably never left India.
Last edited: 16/01/2024