Commando 42-96665
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96665
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30327
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU863
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
August 1944
42-96665 - USAAF (USA)
9 August 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
August 1944 to April 1948
39550 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)
9 August 1944
Transferred as R5C-1 and delivered to NAS San Diego, CA.
Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-35.
2 September 1944
Assigned to VMR-953, based at Corvallis AAF, OR.
30 September 1944
Moved with VMR-953 to MCAS Ewa, HI.
Operated flights extending into Pacific combat areas including Leyte in December 1944 and Okinawa in May 1945.
June 1945
Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-15.
September 1945
Assigned to VMR-252, based at MCAS Cherry Point, NC.
January 1946
Assigned to VMR-353, based at MCAS Cherry Point, NC.
February 1946
Assigned to MAG-35 Service Squadron (Servron-35).
April 1946
Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.
22 October 1946
Reconditioned at NAS San Diego, CA.
October 1946
Assigned to VMR-253, based at MCAS Miramar or MCAS El Toro, CA.
November 1946
Assigned to VMR-152, probably based in China.
January 1947
Assigned to MAG-25 Service Squadron (Servron-25).
February 1947
Assigned to Air Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, based at MCAS Ewa, HI.
18 June 1947
Assigned to VMR-153, probably based at MCAS Tsingtao, Shandong, China.
5 April 1948
Damaged beyond repair in China in a forced landing (no fatalities).
The crew was forced to make an emergency landing for unknown reason. The aircraft came to rest in mud flats and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.
30 April 1948
Struck off charge as Class 3-5-Z. [?]
Last edited: 18/02/2020