The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 42-96651

Aircraft Identification

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96651

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30313

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU849

FATE: Unknown

Operational Record

  July 1944 to ca 1955

  42-96651 - USAAF (USA)


20 July 1944

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

21 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.

  ca 1955 to unknown date

  N9892F - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)


ca 1955

Initially leased from Aircraft Investment Corporation, then purchased.

Unknown date

Ferried to Venice, Italy, overhauled and converted to C-46F by Officine Aeronavali.

["C-46F" is believed to mean "C-46 Freighter" and not the USAAF C-46F designation]

30 December 1955

Delivered to the USA via Prestwick, UK.

  Unknown dates

  N9892F - AAXICO (USA)


Unknown date

Leased from Riddle Airlines.

23 March 1960

Damaged at Brookley AFB, AL after bouncing and overshooting the runway on landing. Repaired.

  Unknown date to November 1963

  N9892F - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)


Unknown date

Returned from lease contract with AAXICO. [uncertain, as this Commando may have been leased much longer to them]

13 July 1961

Damaged in Albany, GA after settling back onto the runway [?]. Repaired.

  November 1963 to ca 1967

  N9892F - AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL (USA)


29 November 1963

Transferred as Riddle Airlines became Airlift International.

  ca 1967 to unknown date

  N9892F - UNKNOWN (USA)


ca 1967

Purchased. ["prior to December 1967" according to AB]

1968

Withdrawn from use and stored.