Commando 41-12381

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-12381

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26508

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU148

FATE: Stored

  May 1943 to September 1947

  41-12381 - USAAF (USA)

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May 1943

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

  September 1947 to April 1960

  41-12381 - USAF (USA)

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18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Modified by Curtiss-Wright for USAF.

ca 1955

Probably assigned to the Continental Air Command, 436^th Troop Carrier Wing, 81^st Troop Carrier Squadron, which trained under the sopervision of the 2235^th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Grenier AFB, NH.

Unknown date

Received major damage at Grenier AFB, NH in an accident (no fatalities).

14 October 1957

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

29 January 1958

Sent for reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  April 1960 to December 1960

  N9340R - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

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April 1960

Purchased.

  December 1960 to 1962

  PP-NMH - NAB (NAVEGACAO AEREA BRASILEIRA SA) (BRAZIL)

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20 December 1960

Purchased.

1 March 1962

Registered.

  1962 to June 1968

  PP-NMH - VASP (VIACAO AEREA SAO PAULO) (BRAZIL)

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1962

Transferred as part of the merger of NAB into Loide Aereo Nacional, and then into VASP.

  June 1968 to present

  PP-NMH - SAVA (SERVICOS AEREOS DO VALE AMAZONICO) (BRAZIL)

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18 June 1968

Leased from VASP.

Unknown date

Purchased from VASP.

ca 1974

Performed an emergency landing in Itacoatiara, Brazil following an engine failure. The Commando was later stripped of engines and valuable parts and abandoned.

30 April 1976

Registration cancelled.

By 2018

Still parked engineless in Itacoatiara, Brazil.

 

Below: what remains of PP-NMH, parked in the grass at Itacoatiara airport, Brazil in March 2011.
Photo credit: Patrick Santana / Manaus Spotting Team