Commando 41-24720
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-25-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-24720
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26641
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU281
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
September 1943 to September 1947
41-24720 - USAAF (USA)
16 September 1943
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
29 November 1943
Assigned to Ladd AAF, AK for winterization tests.
1 February 1944
Received major damage at Bethel AB, AK in a landing accident.
Pilot: Raymond J. Barnett
24 October 1946
Excluded from inventory, probably at Elmendorf Field, AK.
February 1948 to March 1948
41-24720 - WAR ASSETS ADMINISTRATION (USA)
20 February 1948
Transferred.
June 1948 to August 1950
N79917 - WIEN ALASKA AIRLINES (USA)
17 June 1948
Purchased from USAF, used for parts.
August 1950 to June 1951
N79917 - PRIVATE (USA)
August 1950
Purchased by William G. Spillman & H. Crawford.
July 1951 to February 1952
PP-VCB - VARIG (BRAZIL)
31 July 1951
Purchased.
21 February 1952
Ditched after take off from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Brazil (0/3 fatalities).
The left engine failed on climb out. The prop was not feathered, causing the aircraft to enter a stall. A forced landing was carried out in Guanabara Bay.
Right: a pretty Flight Simulator rendering of PP-VCB.
Photo credit: Just Flight / Aeroplane Heaven
Last edited: 27/08/2023