The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 42-3620

Aircraft Identification

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-3620

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26753

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU393

FATE: Written off

Operational Record

  January 1944

  42-3620 - CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION (USA)


21 January 1944

Transferred from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY to the one in Louisville, KY.

  January 1944

  42-3620 - USAAF (USA)


28 January 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Louisville, KY.

  January 1944 to April 1948

  39535 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)


29 January 1944

Transferred as R5C-1 and assigned to MCAS Cherry Point, NC.

By August 1944

Assigned to VMR-252.

January 1945

Assigned to MAG-15 Service Squadron (Servron-15).

29 March 1945

Assigned to Marine Fleet Air West Coast.

April 1945

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

August 1945

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-35.

30 August 1945

Assigned to MAG-35 Service Squadron (Servron-35).

February 1946

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

June 1946

Assigned to MAG-33 Service Squadron (Servron-33).

24 July 1946

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-25, then MAG-25 Service Squadron (Servron-25).

September 1946

Assigned to VMR-253, based at MCAS Miramar, CA.

November 1946

Assigned to VMR-152, based in China.

January 1947

Assigned to MAG-25 Service Squadron (Servron-25).

February 1947

Assigned to Air Fleet Marine Force Pacific, based at MCAS Ewa, HI.

4 April 1947

Assigned to VMR-153, based at MCAS Tsingtao, Shandong, China.

30 April 1948

Damaged beyond repair 5 km west of MCAF Tsingtao, Shandong, China after ditching (no fatalities).

Wreckage submerged 9 hours before being recovered.

Struck off charge, Class 4-5-J.

Last edited: 25/03/2021