Commando 42-96617
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96617
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30279
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU815
FATE: Broken up
Operational Record
July 1944 to 1956
42-96617 - USAAF (USA)
10 July 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
8 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.
1956 to November 1963
N9891F - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)
1956
Purchased by Aircraft Investment Corporation and leased to Riddle Airlines.
Unknown date
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]
[JB has this aircraft initially operated by VARIG after Palas jets being installed in November 1953 by Officine Aeronavali, but no other source concurs]
Unknown date
Apparently leased to Capitol Air at some point. [TBC, according to AB only]
November 1963 to July 1964
N9891F - AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL (USA)
29 November 1963
Transferred as Riddle Airlines became Airlift International.
September 1966 to 1968
N9891F - UNIVERSAL AIRLINES (USA)
September 1966
Transferred as Zantop Air Transport became Universal Airlines.
1968