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Commando 41-24665

Aircraft Identification

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-20-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-24665

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26586

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU226

FATE: Broken up

Operational Record

  August 1943 to September 1947

  41-24665 - USAAF (USA)

August 1943

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

Unknown date

Assigned to ATC India-China Wing, 30th Transport Group based in Mohanbari, Assam, India.

23 November 1943

Received major damage in Mohanbari, Assam, India in a landing accident.

Pilot: John W. Power

  September 1947 to March 1965

  41-24665 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Modified by Curtiss-Wright for USAF.

Unknown date

Assigned to 514th Troop Carrier Wing, 514th Troop Carrier Group, 335th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Mitchel AFB, NY.

23 March 1952

Received major damage at Mitchel AFB, NY in a taxi accident due to a mechanical failure.

Pilot: Charles E. Poust

Unknown date

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

28 October 1957

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

9 April 1964

Sent for reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  March 1965 to January 1973

  CC-CAB - TAS (TRANSPORTES AEREOS SQUELLA) (CHILE)

2 March 1965

Purchased less engines from USAF. Total airframe time 5,018 hours. Christened “El Roto Con Suerto”.

[there is probably a missing owner here, as foreign companies usually purchased USAF aircraft only through a broker, maybe C-46 Parts Inc.?]

 

Right: CC-CAB in Transportes Aereos Squella’s bright color scheme.
Photo credit: Chirstian Volpati / Collection Vilain

Below: CC-CAB parked amongst other old American airliners.
Photo credit: Paul Zogg / zoggavia.com

41 24665 1
41 24665 2

  January 1973 to August 1979

  CC-CAB - TAS (TRANSPORTES AEREOS SURAVIA) (CHILE)

1 January 1973

Transferred.

ca 1975

Withdrawn from use and stored in Santiago, Chile.

August 1979

Broken up in Santiago, Chile.

[this aircraft is sometimes mistakenly identified as Commando 4X-ALE, which flew for El Al in the 1950's – impossible as 41-24665 was clearly documented as flying for the USAF at that time]