Commando 42-101120
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-50-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-101120
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30575
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1111
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
September 1944 to October 1945
42-101120 - USAAF (USA)
21 September 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
14 October 1944
Assigned to ATC Central African Wing.
24 July 1945
Returned to the continental USA at Morrison Field, FL.
October 1945 to ca 1947
42-101120 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
14 October 1945
Transferred to RFC and stored at Ontario AAF, CA.
ca 1948 to May 1948
RX-138 (I) - LAPSA (LINEAS AEREAS DE PANAMA SA) (PANAMA)
ca 1948
Purchased.
Ferried from Ontario AAF, CA to Panama, and then to Israel.
Unknown date to June 1949
4X-ACG - EL AL (ISRAEL)
By 22 January 1949
Purchased.
31 January to 17 February 1949
Operated for special flight carrying Finance Minister Eliezer Kaplan to European cities.
17 March 1949
Damaged beyond repair after taking off from Avraham, Israel (0/13 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a flight from Avraham in the Negev Desert, with 2 pilots, 11 passengers and a load of land mines. Avraham was an improvised landing strip about 55 km north of Eilat, established as part of Operation Uvda. Following the failure of the left engine during landing; the aircraft went out of control and crashed. All 13 occupants survived with minor injuries, while the wreckage and cargo burned out.
Right: 4X-ACG probably seen shortly before its final accident.
Photo credit: unknown / BAAA
Last edited: 04/01/2024