Commando 41-12306
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-5-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-12306
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26433
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU73
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
March 1943 to September 1947
41-12306 - USAAF (USA)
March 1943
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Right: 41-12306 with the right engine running, at an unidentified field. The roundel indicates a post-August 1943 photo.
Photo credit: USAF
September 1947 to unknown date
41-12306 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Modified by Curtiss-Wright for USAF.
Unknown date to January 1958
41-12306 - CALIFORNIA EASTERN AVIATION INC. (USA)
Unknown date
Probably leased by the USAF to California Eastern Aviation.
January 1958 to ca 1960
41-12306 - USAF (USA)
2 January 1958
Returned to the USAF.
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
ca 1960 to July 1972
N155Z - US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USA)
ca 1960
Registered, assigned to the US Forest Service and based in San Francisco, CA.
Left: N155Z at Concord, CA in July 1962, with the red and white scheme applied after delivery from the USAF.
Photo credit: Bill Larkins
Below, left: N155Z seen in US Forest Service colors in 1972.
Photo credit: the Aviation Photo Company
July 1972 to October 1972
N6246 - US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USA)
July 1972
Reregistered.
Above, right: N6246 wearing its new registration in late 1972.
Photo credit: the Aviation Photo Company
August 1973 to March 1975
CP-992 - AEROVIAS LAS MINAS (BOLIVIA)
21 August 1973
Purchased.
10 March 1975
Damaged beyond repair in Trinidad, Beni, Bolivia in a landing accident (3/3 fatalities).
The Commando was performing a cargo flight.
[Date sometimes quoted to be 19 October 1975]
Right: CP-992 parked next to what seems to be another C-46’s tail cone.
Photo credit: Werner Fischdick
Last edited: 18/04/2024