Commando 42-3677

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-3677

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26810

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU450

FATE: Written off

  January 1944 to October 1945

  42-3677 - USAAF (USA)

30 January 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY, but retained in Buffalo [for testing?].

14 March 1945

Assigned to Wright Field, OH.

  October 1945 to 1952

  42-3677 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

5 October 1945

Transferred to RFC and stored at Bush Field, GA.

  1952 to April 1954

  N95463 - PRIVATE (USA)

1952

Purchased from RFC.

  April 1954 to October 1955

  F-OAFI - AIGLE AZUR (FRANCE)

April 1954

Purchased.

Assigned to Aigle Azur Extreme-Orient and based in French Indochina.

Right: a postcard of F-OAFI in its sleek Aigle Azur livery.
Photo credit: Christian Volpati / jjpostcards.com

  Unknown dates

  F-OAFI - AIR MAROC (FRENCH MOROCCO)

Unknown dates

Probably leased from Aigle Azur Maroc.

Left: Commando & DC3 line-up at Casablanca Anfa, French Morocco.
Below: several shots of F-OAFI seen in Bordeaux, France and Casablanca & Marrakech, French Morocco.
Photo credit: Jacques Guillem

  October 1955 to January 1960

  F-OAFI - AIR CAMEROUN (FRENCH CAMEROON)

October 1955

Purchased. Operated in cargo configuration, mainly as a meat carrier on the Fort Lamy, Chad to Douala, French Cameroon route.

December 1956

Damaged in an accident in Yaounde, French Cameroon. Repaired.

1959

Ferried to Bordeaux, France for major overhaul.

  January 1960 to March 1965

  F-OAFI - AIR CAMEROUN (CAMEROON)

1 January 1960

Transferred as Cameroon gained its independence.

3 February 1965

Damaged beyond repair in Garoua, Cameroon in a takeoff accident (4/4 fatalities). [erroneously quoted on 2 March 1965 by AB]

Shortly after takeoff from Garoua, while climbing, the Commando stalled and crashed, killing all four occupants.