Commando 42-61044

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-40-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-61044

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26919

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU559

FATE: Unknown

  April 1944 to 1951

  42-61044 - USAAF (USA)

5 April 1944

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

16 March 1944

Assigned to ATC North African Wing.

Unknown date

Assigned to Cairo Payne Field, Egypt.

23 July 1946

Condemned for salvage, probably by the Army-Navy Liquidation Commission.

  1951 to October 1953

  PP-VCI - VARIG (BRAZIL)

1951

Purchased and sent to Venice, Italy for overhaul at Officine Aeronavali.

22 September 1952

Delivered.

  October 1953 to May 1957

  PP-LDO - LOIDE AEREO NACIONAL (BRAZIL)

30 October 1953

Purchased.

19 November 1953

Delivered.

25 February 1954

Reregistered.

  May 1957 to April 1962

  PT-AXV - CHARQUEADA SANTA MARIA DO ARAGUAIA (BRAZIL)

14 May 1957

Purchased and christened “Caraja Sorrody”.

  April 1962 to April 1964

  PT-AXV - TAS (TRANSPORTES AEREOS SALVADOR) (BRAZIL)

13 April 1962

Leased from Charqueada Santa Maria do Araguaia.

  April 1964 to May 1964

  PT-AXV - CHARQUEADA SANTA MARIA DO ARAGUAIA (BRAZIL)

27 April 1964

Returned from lease contract with TAS.

  May 1964 to July 1968

  PP-BTZ - PARAENSE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)

May 1964

Leased from Charqueada Santa Maria do Araguaia.

January 1966

Purchased.

12 July 1966

Reregistered.

  July 1968

  PP-BTZ - PRIVATE (BRAZIL)

6 July 1968

Purchased by Leopoldo Rodrigues dos Santos.

  July 1968 to 1969

  PP-BTZ - VICAS COMERCIO E INDUSTRIA (BRAZIL)

6 July 1968

Leased from Leopoldo Rodrigues dos Santos.

  1969 to November 1969

  PP-BTZ - COMPANHIA MERIDIONAL DE MINERACAO (BRAZIL)

1969

Leased from Leopoldo Rodrigues dos Santos.

Right: operating for the mines, PP-BTZ offloads supplies after her first landing at Carajas Airstrip, serving the iron ore mine of Serra Norte on 27 November 1968. [dates discrepancy]
Photo credit: Brasil Mineral / www.brasilmineral.com.br

Below, left: PP-BTZ takes off from the newly-extended runway at Carajas on 27 November 1968. At the controls is Captain Jose Villar Ribeiro, who will purchase the aircraft a year later. [dates discrepancy]
Photo credit: Brasil Mineral / www.brasilmineral.com.br

  November 1969 to July 1970

  PP-BTZ - PRIVATE (BRAZIL)

26 November 1969

Purchased by Jose Villar Ribeiro.

  July 1970 to 1976

  PP-BTZ - PRIVATE (BRAZIL)

July 1970

Purchased by Isidoro Pinheiro. [misspelled “Isadora Finneiro” by AB]

July 1971

Withdrawn from use and stored in Belem, Brazil.

30 April 1972

Certificate of airworthiness expired.

  1976 to unknown date

  PP-BTZ - SAVA (SERVICOS AEREOS DO VALE AMAZONICO) (BRAZIL)

1976

Purchased.