The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 41-24767

Aircraft Identification

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-30-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-24767

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26688

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU328

FATE: Unknown

Operational Record

  November 1943 to December 1943

  41-24767 - USAAF (USA)


13 November 1943

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

  December 1943 to unknown date

  39521 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)


13 December 1943

Transferred as R5C-1.

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.

May 1945

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-35.

July 1945

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

9 November 1945

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), Marine Fleet Air West Coast.

February 1946

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

March 1946

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

26 June 1946

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-24 based in Beiping, China.

April 1948

Assigned to MAG-11 Fleet Air Support Squadron (Fasron-11) based at Pearl Harbor, HI.

May 1948

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

August 1948

Assigned to NAS Columbus, OH.

  Unknown date to June 1957

  N4093A - MARCO INDUSTRIES INC. (USA)


Unknown date

Purchased from US Navy.

  June 1957 to December 1957

  N4093A - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)


12 February 1958

Purchased and converted to CW-20T.

  December 1957 to January 1958

  LV-PHD - TSA (TRANSCONTINENTAL SA) (ARGENTINA)


December 1957

Purchased and given a temporary registration ("pasavante").

  January 1958 to December 1961

  LV-FTS - TSA (TRANSCONTINENTAL SA) (ARGENTINA)


30 January 1958

Reregistered.

13 May 1958

Incident at Buenos Aires Aeroparque, Argentina. [?]

2 December 1958

On approach to Buenos Aires Ezeiza, Argentina, the undercarriage failed to come down. The airplane had to circle two hours before landing safely (0/42 fatalities).

23 January 1960

Accident in Cordoba, Argentina. [?]

 

Right: a poor quality, albeit rare, shot of LV-FTS boarding passengers.
Photo credit: Linea ALA blogspot

  December 1961 to February 1962

  LV-FTS - ALA (AUSTRAL LINEAS AEREAS) (ARGENTINA)


22 December 1961

Leased from Transcontinental.

  February 1962 to June 1962

  LV-FTS - TSA (TRANSCONTINENTAL SA) (ARGENTINA)


13 February 1962

Returned from lease contract and withdrawn from use.

26 June 1962

Certificate of airworthiness expired.

Transcontinental had ceased operations in November 1961, and closed down in August 1962. It is unlikely that the Commando flew again.

Last edited: 25/01/2019