Commando 41-24720

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

  September 1943 to September 1947

  41-24720 - USAAF (USA)

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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.

  September 1947 to February 1948

  41-24720 - USAF (USA)

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18 September 1947

Transferred.

  February 1948 to March 1948

  41-24720 - WAR ASSETS ADMINISTRATION (USA)

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20 February 1948

Transferred.

  March 1948 to June 1948

  41-24720 - USAF (USA)

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18 March 1948

Reinstated and assigned to the Alaskan Air Command.

[AB then quotes the aircraft as joining the US Navy (?) on 18 March 1948, but highly unlikely]

  June 1948 to August 1950

  N79917 - WIEN ALASKA AIRLINES (USA)

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17 June 1948

Purchased from USAF, used for parts.

  August 1950 to June 1951

  N79917 - PRIVATE (USA)

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August 1950

Purchased by William G. Spillman & H. Crawford.

  June 1951 to July 1951

  N79917 - DONALD "DON" L. CARDIFF (USA)

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June 1951

Purchased.

  July 1951 to February 1952

  PP-VCB - VARIG (BRAZIL)

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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