Commando 42-3638

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-3638

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26771

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU411

FATE: Stored

  January 1944 to September 1947

  42-3638 - USAAF (USA)

January 1944

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

1944

Assigned to ATC Central African Wing.

27 July 1944

Received major damage at RAF El Geneina, Sudan (today Al Junaynah) in a landing accident.

Pilot: Ernest C. Bickers (pictured right, survived & went on to fight in Korea)

  September 1947 to March 1965

  42-3638 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Modified by Curtiss-Wright for the USAF.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2578th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Ellington AFB, TX.

21 December 1957

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

25 March 1964

Sent for reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  March 1965 to December 1969

  N91364 - C-46 PARTS INC. (USA)

2 March 1965

Purchased less engines from USAF. Total airframe time 5,966 hours.

Overhauled and refurbished.

1969

Registration cancelled.

  December 1969 to 1974

  TAM-61 - TAM (TRANSPORTE AEREO MILITAR) (BOLIVIA)

December 1969

Purchased.

  1974 to late 1980's

  CP-1080 - TRANSPORTES AEREAS LA CUMBRE (BOLIVIA)

1974

Purchased.

Unknown date

Withdrawn from use and stored at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia.

October 1977

Seen stored wingless at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia.

1988

Last seen, still stored wingless at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia.

  Late 1980's to early 2000's

  CP-1080 - FRIGORIFICO SANTA RITA (BOLIVIA)

Late 1980’s

Purchased wingless and engineless. The initial plan was for the aircraft to be restored to flying condition, however it is not clear whether this actually happened. The wings were refitted at some point in time, but it seems that the aircraft remained stored at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia for most – if not all – of its time with Frigorifico Santa Rita.

Below, left: CP-1080 seen engineless in La Paz El Alto, Bolivia on 21 September 1997.
Photo credit: Andy Martin / airliners.net

Below, right: CP-1080 by October 2001, probably still owned by Frigorifico Santa Rita at that time.
Photo credit: unknown / Old Props UK

  Early 2000's to present

  CP-1080 - LINEAS AEREAS CANEDO (BOLIVIA)

Early 2000’s

Purchased. Plans to restore the aircraft in passenger configuration seem to never have materialized, and the aircraft remained stored engineless at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia in its old faded Frigorifico Santa Rita colors.

Below, left: Engineless CP-1080 still sitting in La Paz in June 2010 – nothing new under the Bolivian sun!
Photo credit: Michael Prophet / www.michaelprophet.com

Below, right: CP-1080 last shot on 1 June 2015 in La Paz El Alto, Bolivia. It is assumed that the aircraft is still there today.
Photo credit: Rob Schleiffert / Wikimedia Commons