Commando 42-101198

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-101198

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30653

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1189

FATE: Preserved

  October 1944 to April 1946

  42-101198 - USAAF (USA)

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16 October 1944

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

Assigned to the 4^th Combat Cargo Group, 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron based at Bowman Field, KY.

Mid-November 1944

Ferried from Morrison Field, FL to Sylhet, Bengal, India.

Crew:
1^st Lt. Otha R. Rains, Pilot
2^nd Lt. Gerald L. Brock, Copilot
Cpl. Claude E. Davis, Crew Chief
Sgt. Abraham Weinberger, Radio Operator

30 November 1944

Ferried through Karachi, Sindh, India.

Early December 1944

Arrived in Sylhet, Bengal, India with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Transported reinforcements and supplies for Allied forces in Burma.

December 1944

Transported material and equipment for the Ledo Road.

Early January 1945

Moved to Agartala, Tripura, India with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Late January 1945

Moved to Chittagong, Bengal, India with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

February 1945

Transported men, mules, and boats to support the Allied crossing of the Irrawaddy River, Burma.

May 1945

Dropped Gurkha paratroops during the assault on Rangoon.

June 1945

Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Transported ammunition, gasoline, mules, and men to China.

November 1945

Moved to RAF Ondal, Bengal, India with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

  April 1946 to October 1954

  42-101198 - INDIAN GOVERNMENT (INDIA)

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10 April 1946

Purchased. [also quoted as 4 October 1946]

1950

Withdrawn from use, stored.

  October 1954 to July 1956

  N68851 - BORGES TILLOTSON AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

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18 October 1954

Purchased by Stephen F. Williams of Sacramento, CA for Borges Tillotson.

12 January 1955

Registered.

Unknown date

Ferried from India to the USA via London, UK.

13 May 1955

Registration cancelled, exported to Colombia.

  July 1956 to 1957

  HK-829 - LIDCA (LINEAS AEREAS DEL CARIBE) (COLOMBIA)

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July 1956

Purchased.

  1957 to 1963

  CC-CND - TRANSA CHILE (CHILE)

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1957

Purchased. [probably registered CC-CND-0471]

11 March 1959

Damaged in Santiago, Chile in an accident.

  1963 to late 1975

  CC-CDC - LASA (LINEA AEREA SUD AMERICANA) (CHILE)

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1963

Purchased.

1973

Withdrawn from use and stored in Miami, FL.

 

Right: CC-CND already with LASA, but not yet reregistered CC-CDC, unknown location, circa 1963.
Photo credit: Brian Stainer / NA3T

  Late 1975 to 1984

  CC-CDC - PRIVATE (UNKNOWN)

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Late 1975

Purchased by Victor Salas.

1976

Stored at Opa Locka, FL.

 

From top to bottom and left to right:

1. CC-CDC recently arrived at Opa Locka, FL in October 1977.
Photo credit: Geoff Goodall / www.goodall.com.au

2. The same in early 1978.
Photo credit: Joop de Groot / www.airhistory.net

3. CC-CDC now standing in the grass, propless, in October 1978.
Photo credit: Richard Werno / www.airliners.net

4. The same, 15 July 1979.
Photo credit: Paul Thallon / www.airliners.net

5. A few months later in November 1979.
Photo credit: Phillip Dawe / Flickr

6. Still at Opa Locka with titles almost gone, on 18 February 1981.
Photo credit: Trevor Davies / Air Britain

7. In September 1981, with ailerons and rudder trim gone, but with new props! Under restauration?
Photo credit: Bob Groenendijk / www.airliners.net

  1984 to 1986

  HP-977 - SERVICIOS AEREOS R. D. (PANAMA)

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1984

Purchased.

  1986 to August 1991

  HH-DGA - HAITI AIR FREIGHT (HAITI)

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1986

Purchased.

1990

Withdrawn from use and stored, probably in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

 

Right: HH-DGA stored in Port-au-Prince with the left engine missing.
Photo credit: Larry Johnson / AV.CA

  August 1991 to present

  42-101198 - USAF (USA)

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27 August 1991

Purchased by the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

Unknown date

Loaned to the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB, GA.

Displayed outside in original colors with buzz number "S" / "198" and christened "Georgia Peach" (the latter removed by 2005).

By 2009

Displayed indoors.

 

Left and below:

1. 42-101198's cockpit.
Photo credit: USAF Museum

2. "Georgia Peach" seen at Robins AFB on 21 October 2001.
Photo credit: Alexander Schelbergen / Air Britain

3. 42-101198 still outside, repainted and nose art removed, 8 May 2005.
Photo credit: Rod Dermo / www.jetphotos.com

4. "198" on 20 March 2007.
Photo credit: Thomas P. McManus / www.jetphotos.com

5. Finally sheltered, 42-101198 in 2012 still at Robins AFB.
Photo credit: Philip Cole / Flickr