Commando 41-5163
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-5163
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26365
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU5
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
September 1942 to December 1943
41-5163 - USAAF (USA)
21 September 1942
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to New York LaGuardia, NY, maybe with American Airlines for operational proving flights.
17 July 1942
Returned to Curtiss briefly, presumably for modifications.
29 May 1943
Assigned to ATC Caribbean Wing.
31 July 1943
Assigned back to the continental USA.
14 December 1943
Destroyed by fire at New Castle AAB, DE.
Some time in 1942, 41-5163 took part in a promotional photo shoot for Life Magazine. What a stark contrast between these pictures and the actual war photos of Commandos in India or China that would be shot a few months later!
Photo credit: Life Magazine / USAF
Last edited: 26/08/2020