Commando 42-101231
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-101231
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30686
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1222
FATE: Preserved
Operational Record
October 1944 to April 1946
42-101231 - USAAF (USA)
18 October 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to the 4th Combat Cargo Group, 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
18 November 1944
Ferried out of Morrison Field, FL toward Sylhet, Bengal, India.
Crew:
Capt. Alfred F. Gallup, Pilot
2nd Lt. Lawrence K. Sieck, Copilot
Cpl. Stephen A. Kogut, Crew Chief
Sgt. Harvey F. Frick, Radio Operator
8 December 1944
Ferried through Karachi, Sindh, India.
Mid-December 1944
Arrived in Sylhet, Bengal, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
Late December 1944
Moved to Agartala, Tripura, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
29 December 1944
Received major damage in Agartala, Tripura, India in a taxi accident.
Pilot: 1st Lt. John R. Stone (survived)
January 1945
Moved to Chittagong, Bengal, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
24 February 1945
Received major damage in Chittagong, Bengal, India in a takeoff accident.
Pilot: Capt. Alfred F. Gallup (survived)
June 1945
Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
September 1945
Moved to Ledo, Assam, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
October 1945
Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
November 1945
Moved to RAF Ondal, Bengal, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
10 February 1946
Condemned for salvage by the Army-Navy Liquidation Commission, but not broken up.
April 1946 to early 1955 Early 1955 to mid-1955
42-101231 - WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMPORT EXPORT COMPANY (USA)
Early 1955
Probably purchased from the Indian Government, ferried to the USA and refurbished.
Mid-1955 to January 1956
YV-C-A?? - RANSA (RUTAS AEREAS NACIONALES SA) (VENEZUELA)
Mid-1955
Purchased but not taken up.
Probably stored at New York Idlewild.
9 January 1956
Registration cancelled.
January 1956 to November 1963
N5131B - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)
20 January 1956
Leased from the Florida Aircraft Leasing Corporation.
19 January 1959
Purchased from the Florida Aircraft Leasing Corporation - probably at the end of a 3-year lease-purchase agreement.
4 December 1962
Received major damage in Macon, GA in an undercarriage collapse (0/2 fatalities).
The Commando was carrying out a training flight out of Macon, GA. An issue was suspected with the landing gear, which was extended manually, and a precautionary landing was carried out. The gear collapsed upon landing. The 
NTSB report revealed that during manual extension, improper positioning of the emergency uplock release handle led to a depletion of the hydraulic fluid. Furthermore, the left landing gear light and gear warning horn were found to be inoperative.
November 1963 to July 1964
N5131B - AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL (USA)
29 November 1963
Transferred as Riddle changed its name to Airlift.
15 July 1964
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.
July 1964 to September 1966
N5131B - ZANTOP AIR TRANSPORT (USA)
16 July 1964
Leased from Airlift.
18 July 1964
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.
30 June 1966
Purchased from Airlift.
September 1966 to 1968
N5131B - UNIVERSAL AIRLINES (USA)
21 September 1966
Transferred as Zantop changed its name to Universal.
July 1969 to September 1970
N5131B - TRANS ARCTIC INC. (USA)
1 July 1969
Purchased.
22 April 1970
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.
September 1970 to September 1975
N5131B - ORTNER AIR SERVICE (USA)
September 1970
Purchased by Quanama West Indies Corporation of Wakeman, OH and leased back to Ortner Air Service.
Carried automotive parts out of Detroit Willow Run, MI.
April 1973
Purchased by Plymouth Leasing Corporation of Plymouth, MI and leased back to Ortner Air Service.
Still used to carry automotive parts out of Detroit Willow Run, MI.
May 1974
Stored engineless in Wakeman, OH.
Below, left: N5131B in Ortner Air Service colors seen at Wakeman, OH in October 1973.
Photo credit: Bob Garrard / AirHistory.net
Below, right: now stored at Wakeman, OH, engineless N5131B around 1974-1975.
Photo credit: Lee Mullins / NA3T
September 1975 to February 1982
N5131B - TRANS CONTINENTAL AIRLINES (USA)
September 1975
Either purchased, or leased from the Plymouth Leasing Corporation.
Carried automotive parts out of Detroit Willow Run, MI.
May 1981
Purchased.
24 May 1981
Stored at Detroit Willow Run, MI.
Right: back in business at Willow Run, on 6 July 1978.
Photo credit: Mick Bajcar / Airliners.net
Below, left: now completely white, N5131B at Chicago Midway, MI on 1 September 1979.
Photo credit: Paul Thallon / AV.CA
Below, right: again at Chicago Midway, sometime in 1979.
Photo credit: Pat B. / Flickr
Bottom, left: N5131B idle at Willow Run, MI on 26 March 1981.
Photo credit: Trevor Bartlett / Air Britain
Bottom, right: the same still at Willow Run, 24 May 1981.
Photo credit: Gerard Helmer / Airliners.net
February 1982 to unknown date
N5131B - REO LEASING INC. (USA)
4 February 1982
Purchased.
Unknown date
Landed at a remote illegal airstrip in Arriaga, Mexico with a load of contraband.
Confiscated by the Mexican government.
27 October 2014
Registration cancelled.
Unknown dates
TEC-6047 - FUERZA AEREA MEXICANA (MEXICO)
Unknown date
Seized.
1989
Withdrawn from use.
1992
Decommissioned.
Unknown date to January 2001
TEC-6047 - PRIVATE (USA)
Unknown date
Purchased by an unknown American private individual.
Abandonned at Mexico City Benito Juarez International and eventually confiscated by the airport for lack of payment of parking fees.
Left: TEC-6047 abandonned at Mexico City Benito Juarez International, 23 November 1996.
Photo credit: Paul Thallon / AV.CA
January 2001
TEC-6047 - PRIVATE (MEXICO)
January 2001
Purchased for scrap by an unknown Mexican private individual from the airport in Mexico City.
January 2001 to present
TEC-6047 - EXPLORA MUSEUM (MEXICO)
January 2001
Donated to the Explora Museum in Leon, Mexico.
Restored and displayed outdoors in the museum gardens.
Right & below: N5131B at the Explora Museum in Leon, Mexico.
Photo credit: Explora Museum & Jose Ruiz respectively
Last edited: 15/09/2020