Commando 42-96540
Aircraft Identification
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
Operational Record
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 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.
Unknown dates
XB-JED - UNKNOWN (MEXICO)
Unknown date
Purchase deal failed, registration probably never taken up.
Last edited: 04/01/2024