The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 42-96577

Aircraft Identification

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96577

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30239

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU775

FATE: Broken up

Operational Record

  July 1944 to September 1947

  42-96577 - USAAF (USA)


July 1944

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

  September 1947 to January 1965

  42-96577 - USAF (USA)


18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Modified by Curtiss-Wright for USAF.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2343rd Air Force Reserve Training Center, based in Portland, OR.

13 May 1953

Received minor damage in Portland, OR in a landing accident.

Pilot: M. S. Goodman

14 October 1954

Received minor damage in Portland, OR in a ground collision during taxi.

Pilot: Arnold G. Letrud

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2346th Air Force Reserve Training Center, based at Paine Field, WA.

18 April 1958

Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

Unknown date

Sent for reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  January 1965 to 1968

  N32224 - C-46 PARTS INC. (USA)


26 January 1965

Purchased less engines from USAF. Total airframe time 6,165 hours.

  1968 to 1971

  CP-900 - SANIA (BOLIVIA)


1968

Purchased.

  1971 to 1994

  CP-900 - SAB (SERVICIOS AEREOS BOLIVIANOS) (BOLIVIA)


1971

Leased from SANIA.

31 August 1972

Received major demage at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia in a takeoff accident (no fatalities).

Subsequently stored at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia.

By February 1977

Repaired, returned to service and christened “Junia”.

 

Right: CP-900 of Servicios Aereos Bolivianos at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia on 2 December 1977.
Photo credit: Christian Volpati / Wikimedia Commons
Below: Fourteen years later, and still going: CP-900 at La Paz El Alto, 17 May 1991.
Photo credit: Charles Osta / Airliners.net

  1994 to 2005

  CP-900 - AIR BENI (BOLIVIA)


1994

Purchased.

ca 2005

Broken up.

2006

Cockpit section offered for sale. Location of the rest of the airframe unknown.