Commando 41-12381
Aircraft Identification
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
Operational Record
May 1943 to September 1947
41-12381 - USAAF (USA)
May 1943
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
September 1947 to April 1960
41-12381 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Modified by Curtiss-Wright for USAF.
ca 1955
Probably assigned to the Continental Air Command, 436th Troop Carrier Wing, 81st Troop Carrier Squadron, which trained under the sopervision of the 2235th 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.
December 1960 to 1962
PP-NMH - NAB (NAVEGACAO AEREA BRASILEIRA SA) (BRAZIL)
20 December 1960
Purchased.
1 March 1962
Registered.
1962 to June 1968
PP-NMH - VASP (VIACAO AEREA SAO PAULO) (BRAZIL)
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)
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
Last edited: 04/01/2021