Commando 42-96563
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96563
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30225
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU761
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
July 1944 to October 1945
42-96563 - USAAF (USA)
12 July 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to Rosecrans Field, MO.
October 1945 to 1947
42-96563 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
24 October 1945
Transferred to RFC and stored at Ontario AAF, CA.
1947 to February 1951
42-96563 - VINELAND SCHOOL DISTRICT (USA)
1947
Purchased from RFC by the Vineland School District and turned into a classroom for the Oklahoma migrants staying in Weedpatch Camp, CA. Price: $200.
February 1951 to 1956
N111E - CHARLES C. FINN (USA)
February 1951
Purchased by Charles C. Finn and his twin brother George Finn, with the objective of making the aircraft airworthy again and start an airline with it. Price: $500, as aircraft was only a hulk at that point.
1951
Ferried to Burbank, CA and stored.
19 October 1951
Half ownership to be sold to International Airports Inc. of Burbank, CA – owned by George Batchelor – for $10,000. That money was to be used by the Finn Brothers to purchase a former RFC C-47 owned by another school – the latter deal did not go through.
3 July 1952
Court case filed by the US Government to cancel the sale of N111H – another Commando of Vineland School District – to Charles C. Finn, as aircraft originally purchased from RFC for educational purposes had no right to be sold back due to their preferential price. The US Government also demanded that the $15,000 cash advance by International Airports Inc. be void, and that N111H be seized or $198,000 paid in lieu.
November 1954
The Court ruled against the US Government and upheld the original sale of N111H to Charles C. Finn.
The full story of this adventure is told here.
1956 to June 1956
N111E - VINELAND SCHOOL DISTRICT (USA)
1956
Seized from Charles C. Finn by the Vineland School District, on the claim of a breach of agreement.
Put up for sale by public auction at Burbank, CA.
June 1956 to ca 1959
N111E - GEORGE BATCHELOR (USA)
19 June 1956
Purchased at public auction for $6,110.
Unable to be registered due to an ownership claim by Charles C. Finn.
26 September 1956
Court action taken by George Batchelor, claiming ownership over the aircraft.
21 November 1956
Court order granting ownership to George Batchelor, appealed by Charles C. Finn.
Early 1957
Refurbished by International Airports Inc. in Burbank, CA.
1 August 1957 to 31 August 1958
Operated as a passenger aircraft on US military transport contracts. Grossed $237,034 over the 13-month period.
7 April 1959
Final ruling granting ownership to George Batchelor, after all appeals by Charles C. Finn were dismissed.
ca 1959 to August 1959
N111E - SOURDOUGH AIR TRANSPORT (USA)
ca 1959
Leased from George Batchelor. Probably saw very little if no commercial use.
21 August 1959
Received major damage in Burbank, CA in a landing accident (no fatalities).
The Commando performed an emergency landing at Burbank, and ground-looped. In the process, it struck California Airmotive Martin 202 N93202, which was damaged beyond repair.
August 1959 to July 1960
N111E - GEORGE BATCHELOR (USA)
August 1959
Lease contract with Sourdough Air Transport cancelled due to the accident.
Repaired by International Airports Inc. in Burbank, CA.
1960 to April 1962
N111E - SEVEN SEAS AIRLINES (USA)
1960
Purchased and christened “Africa Queen 2”.
Late 1960
Deployed in Katanga, Congo for the United Nation mission in Congo and used for the domestic delivery of supplies.
April 1962 to August 1962
N111E - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)
11 April 1962
Ferried from Luxembourg to Miami, FL via Prestwick, UK in full Seven Seas white and blue livery.
1962
Converted to Super 46C.
August 1962 to January 1963
SE-EDS - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)
August 1962
Purchased.
12 November 1962
Delivered in Miami, FL. Total airframe time 4,529 hours.
Ferried to Venice, Italy for further work at Officine Aeronavali.
Late 1962
Delivered to Malmo, Sweden.
Right: SE-EDS on some snowy Scandinavian ramp.
Photo credit: Transair Sunjet Set
January 1963 to June 1963
SE-EDS - ONUC (UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN THE CONGO)
January 1963
Leased by Transair Sweden to the United Nations mission in Congo.
5 January 1963
Delivered from Malmo, Sweden to Leopoldville, Congo.
Left: troops waiting to embark on SE-EDS, somewhere in Congo
Photo credit: Rolf “Mellis” Mellstrom / Transair Sunjet Set
June 1963 to December 1963
SE-EDS - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)
30 June 1963
End of lease contract with the United Nations.
4 July 1963
Left Leopoldville, Congo for Malmo, Sweden.
December 1963 to May 1964
SE-EDS - CONGO GOVERNMENT (CONGO LEOPOLDVILLE)
21 December 1963
Leased by Transair Sweden to the Congo Government, operated under the Transair Congo brand.
Left Malmo, Sweden for Leopoldville, Congo.
Right: a distant shot showing SE-EDS wearing Transair Congo titles.
Photo credit: Rolf “Mellis” Mellstrom / Transair Sunjet Set
May 1964 to May 1966
SE-EDS - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)
31 May 1964
End of lease contract with the Congo Government.
1 June 1964
Left Leopoldville, Congo for Venice, Italy.
5 June 1964
Arrived in Venice, Italy for overhaul at Officine Aeronavali.
21 November 1965
Withdrawn from use and stored in Malmo, Sweden.
Left: SE-EDS on the scheduled cargo flight to Southend, UK on 25 November 1964.
Photo credit: www.na3t.org
May 1966 to June 1966
SE-EDS - TOR-AIR (SWEDEN)
Leased for several periods from Transair Sweden – the aircraft was probably never painted in Tor-Air colors, unlike its sisteships.
June 1966 to November 1966
SE-EDS - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)
June 1966
Returned from lease with Tor-Air.
November 1966 to June 1969
PP-BUD - PARAENSE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)
5 November 1966
Purchased, left Malmo Sweden for Brazil.
4 December 1966
Arrived in Belem, Brazil from Sweden via Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Dakar, Senegal & Fortaleza, Brazil. Total airframe time 8,217 hours.
Right: PP-BUD seen in Miami, FL on 19 October 1970.
Photo credit: R. A. Scholefield / Airliners.net
June 1969 to March 1971
PP-BUD - FAIRCHILD-HILLER CORPORATION (USA)
4 June 1969
Traded in as part of the sale of six FH-227 to Paraense Transportes Aereos.
19 December 1969
Registration cancelled.
1970
Stored in Miami, FL.
March 1971 to April 1972
CP-940 - TABSA (TRANSPORTES AEREOS BENIANOS SA) (BOLIVIA)
March 1971
Purchased by International Export Co., to be operated by TABSA.
22 April 1972
Damaged beyond repair at El Desengano, Bolivia [SDLN, 14°16’ S / 65°27’ W] in unknown circumstances.
Last edited: 27/10/2022