Commando 42-96615
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96615
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30277
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU813
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
July 1944 to 1954
42-96615 - USAAF (USA)
18 July 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
9 August 1944
Assigned to ATC North African Division.
Unknown date
Assigned to Cairo Payne Field, Egypt.
23 July 1946
Condemned for salvage, probably by the Army-Navy Liquidation Commission, but apparently not broken up.
1954 to August 1955
N9906F - SANDAY & CO. (USA)
1954
Purchased.
13 July 1955
Overhauled and converted to C-46F by Officine Aeronavali in Venice, Italy.
["C-46F" is believed to mean "C-46 Freighter" and not the USAAF C-46F designation]
[some sources mention direct ownership of this aircraft by Officine Aeronavali]
August 1955 to August 1960
N9906F - METEOR AIR TRANSPORT (USA)
4 August 1955
Delivered from Venice, Italy to Teterboro, NJ via Prestwick, UK. [several sources suggest this Commando may have been purchased by Riddle and then leased to Meteor]
1 September 1955
Purchased.
1957
Taken as warranty by Metropolitan Air Terminal of Bergen County, Teterboro, NJ against a cash loan to Meteor.
1958
Repossessed by Metropolitan Air Terminal.
Right: N9906F in Meteor Air Transport colors at an unknown airfield in June 1950. [dates discrepancy]
Photo credit: Paul Zogg / www.zoggavia.com
May 1966 to October 1969
N9906F - SERVICIOS AMERICANOS SA (USA)
5 May 1966
Purchased by Robert Becker of Miami, FL, owner of Servicios Americanos SA and converted to sprayer.
Used for crop dusting operations in various Latin American countries.
1967
Seized by the District Court of Florida in Miami, FL. [by US Customs in 1968 according to AB]
October 1969 to November 1969
N9906F - CAROLINA AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)
21 October 1969
Purchased.
July 1972 to July 1977
N9906F - CLARKS AERIAL SERVICE INC. (USA)
28 July 1972
Purchased. Mostly used for seed spreading.
Last edited: 04/02/2020