Commando 42-3578

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-3578

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26711

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU351

FATE: Unknown

[this Commando is sometimes quoted as US Marine Corps' Bu.No.39524, however that is impossible as its USAF history is clearly documented in AMARC archives]

  December 1943 to September 1947

  42-3578 - USAAF (USA)

December 1943

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

  September 1947 to 1959

  42-3578 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2346^th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Hamilton AFB, CA.

31 January 1958

Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

2 February 1959

Sent for reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  1959 to 1960

  N9258Z - UNKNOWN (USA)

1959

Purchased from the US Air Force.

  1960 to September 1961

  N9070R - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

1960

Purchased. [date is vague, also quoted as 1959] [registration often erroneously quoted as N9090R]

23 January 1961

Registered.

26 September 1961

Registration cancelled, exported to Colombia.

  September 1961 to late 1961

  UNKNOWN - UNKNOWN (COLOMBIA)

September 1961

Purchased by an unknown entity in Colombia. Probably not taken up.

  Late 1961 to April 1978

  CC-CAC - LINEA AEREA CONDOR (CHILE)

Late 1961

Purchased.

Right: CC-CAC in Linea Aerea Condor livery, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: Michel Anciaux / AviationRainbows

  April 1978 to unknown date

  CC-CAC - LATISA (LINEA AEREA DE TRANSPORTE INTERIOR SUD AMERICANA) (CHILE)

29 April 1978

Purchased by Oscar Squella Espina.

13 July 1978

Brought to the capital of newly-founded LATISA by Oscar Squella Espina.

Unknown date

Withdrawn from use at Santiago Los Cerrillos, Chile and used for spares. [1980 at the latest]

Fate unknown. [some sources quote it sold to Linea Aerea TAXPA in 1980, but unlikely as LATISA was the last Chilean Commando operator]

Left: CC-CAC and sistership CC-CEX derelict at Santiago Los Cerillos, Chile in February 1981.
Photo credit: Francisco Andreu / AviationCorner