Commando 42-96605

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96605

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30267

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU803

FATE: Unknown

  July 1944 to September 1947

  42-96605 - USAAF (USA)

July 1944

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

Unknown date

Assigned to 4^th Combat Cargo Group, 15^th Combat Cargo Squadron, based at Bowman Field, KY.

9 September 1944

Received major damage at Bowman Field, KY in a takeoff accident.

Pilot: Frasier W. Mountain

  September 1947 to March 1965

  42-96605 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Modified by Curtiss-Wright for USAF.

January 1950

Converted to TC-46A.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2585^th Air Force Reserve Training Center, based at Donaldson AFB, SC.

12 April 1958

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

17 April 1964

Sent for reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

Right: 42-96605 stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ along with some of its siblings. Note the First Air Force insignia on the tail and the "obsolete" serial number.
Photo credit: Gordon J. Warren

  March 1965 to November 1966

  N91367 - C-46 PARTS INC. (USA)

2 March 1965

Purchased less engines from USAF. Total airframe time 5,115 hours.

  November 1966 to April 1967

  N91367 - PRIVATE (USA)

30 November 1966

Purchased by Richard H. STEVES, Miami, FL.

  April 1967 to unknown date

  HP-443 - AFISA (AEROFLETES INTERNACIONALES SA) (PANAMA)

April 1967

Purchased.

1971

Withdrawn from use and stored in Panama City, Panama.

[this Commando is sometimes thought to have become HP-459, but that is actually 44-78623]

Left: HP-443 in AFISA colors, unknown date & place.
Photo credit: Paul Zogg / Zoggavia.com