Commando 41-24735

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-25-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-24735

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26656

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU296

FATE: Written off

  October 1943 to November 1943

  41-24735 - USAAF (USA)

26 October 1943

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

  November 1943 to February 1957

  39509 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)

23 November 1943

Transferred as R5C-1.

24 May 1944

Assigned to VMJ-953 based at MCAF Corvallis AAF, OR.

30 May 1944

Assigned to Marine Fleet Air West Coast.

June 1944

Assigned to MAG-35 Service Squadron (Servron-35).

By August 1944

Assigned to VMR-952 based in Emirau, Bismarck Archipelago.

December 1944

VMR-952 joins the Transport Air Group, based in Guam, Mariana Islands.

February 1945

Participated with VMR-952 in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

August 1945

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

  February 1957 to January 1958

  N4087A - MARCO INDUSTRIES INC. (USA)

February 1957

Purchased.

  January 1958 to June 1958

  OB-WAX-487 - TAPSA (TRANSPORTES AEREOS PERUANAS SA) (PERU)

January 1958

Given a temporary registration ("pasavante").

  June 1958 to January 1959

  OB-QAL-487 - TAPSA (TRANSPORTES AEREOS PERUANAS SA) (PERU)

9 June 1958

Reregistered.

4 January 1959

Crashed on landing in Moyobamba, Peru (0/2 fatalities).

After touchdown, the Commando encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance, overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest against a radio mast. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

[Correspondance between USAAF Serial 41-24735 and US Navy Bu.No.39509 is highly probable but not fully confirmed. It is however confirmed that N4087A, OB-WAX-487 & OB-QAL-487 are Bu.No.39509]