Commando 42-96540

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96540

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30202

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU738

FATE: Unknown

  July 1944 to November 1945

  42-96540 - USAAF (USA)

7 July 1944

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

Assigned to Rosecrans Field, MO.

  November 1945 to ca 1947

  42-96540 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

6 November 1945

Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.

  ca 1947 to ca 1948

  N????? - ADOLPH "AL" W. SCHWIMMER (USA)

ca 1947

Purchased from RFC.

  ca 1948

  RX-138 (II) - LAPSA (LINEAS AEREAS DE PANAMA SA) (PANAMA)

ca 1948

Purchased.

Ferried from the USA to Panama City, and then to Israel.

  ca 1948 to September 1949

  1711 - IAF (ISRAELI AIR FORCE) (ISRAEL)

ca 1948

Purchased and christened “Shosh” – after Shoshona, the girlfriend of one of the crew.

Unknown date

Reregistered.

Left: 1711 still wearing the number “138” reminiscent of its Panama registration.
Photo credit: Peter Scott & David Howley / The Israeli Air Force, Part One: 1948-1967, Camouflage and Markings No.3, by Ray Ball

  September 1949 to October 1949

  4X-ACT - AL-SAM LTD. (ISRAEL)

September 1949

Purchased.

Right: 4X-ACT seen at Eilat in El Al colors, 28 February 1950.
Photo credit: El Al / www.israelairlinemuseum.org

  October 1949 to December 1950

  4X-ACT - ARKIA INLAND AIRLINES (ISRAEL)

11 October 1949

Purchased, and probably operated in El Al colors.

24 January 1950

Registered.

28 February 1950

First commercial flight to Eilat, Israel.

Left: 4X-ACT on El Al’s inaugural flight to Eilat.
Photo credit: Israel Government Press Office / www.israelairlinemuseum.org

  December 1950 to February 1955

  4X-ALC - EL AL (ISRAEL)

17 December 1950

Leased from Arkia Israeli Airlines.

Unknown date

Registered.

Right: 4X-ACT in El Al colors, somewhere in the Negev. This registration was apparently worn for a short time after being tranferred to El Al.
Below, left: 4X-ALC, with its new registration, in El Al colors.
Below, right: Prime Minister Moshe Sharett disembarks from 4X-ALC, 23 February 1953.
Photo credit: IDF / www.sky-high.co.il

  February 1955 to 1955

  4X-ALC - ARKIA INLAND AIRLINES (ISRAEL)

27 February 1955

Returned from lease contract with El Al.

Left: 4X-ALC sitting in Eilat, Israel, October 1955 – operated by Arkia, yet still wearing El Al titles!
Photo credit: Israel Government Press Office / www.israelairlinemuseum.org

  1955

  OB-XYZ-931 - PRIVATE (PERU)

1955

Purchased by private owners in Peru, but deal later cancelled and not taken up.

  1955 to January 1956

  4X-ALC - ARKIA INLAND AIRLINES (ISRAEL)

1955

Sale to Peruvian private owners cancelled.

17 February 1956

Registration cancelled.

  January 1956 to March 1956

  N5141B - AAXICO (USA)

27 January 1956

Purchased.

17 February 1956

Ferried from Israel to the USA via Prestwick, UK.

  March 1956 to September 1958

  AN-AIR - LANICA (LINEAS AEREAS DE NICARAGUA) (NICARAGUA)

26 March 1956

Purchased.

  September 1958 to unknown date

  N4198A - PRIVATE (USA)

17 September 1958

Purchased by Harold Davis and stored.

12 February 1959

Registered. [according to JB]

  Unknown dates

  XB-JED - UNKNOWN (MEXICO)

Unknown date

Purchase deal failed, registration probably never taken up.

  Unknown dates

  N4198A - PRIVATE (USA)

Unknown dates

Remained the property of Harold Davis, no further information.

[Commando was still the property of Harold Davis in 1965 according to AB]