Commando 42-96669

Aircraft Identification

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96669

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30331

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU867

FATE: Unknown

Operational Record

July 1944 to August 1955

42-96669 - USAAF (USA)

31 July 1944

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

23 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.

August 1955 to July 1956

N9902F - SANDAY & CO. (USA)

1 August 1955

Purchased.

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]

July 1956 to November 1963

N9902F - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)

31 July 1956

Purchased by Aircraft Investment Corporation and leased to Riddle Airlines.

19 July 1959

Purchased.

November 1963 to July 1964

N9902F - AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL (USA)

29 November 1963

Transferred as Riddle Airlines became Airlift International.

July 1964 to September 1966

N9902F - ZANTOP AIR TRANSPORT (USA)

16 July 1964

Leased from Airlift International.

4 August 1966

Purchased. [30 June 1966 according to AB]

September 1966 to March 1968

N9902F - UNIVERSAL AIRLINES (USA)

September 1966

Transferred as Zantop Air Transport became Universal Airlines.

March 1968 to December 1968

N9902F - AVIATION ASSOCIATES OF GEORGIA (USA)

15 March 1968

Purchased.

December 1968 to February 1970

N9902F - WILAIR INC. (USA)

9 December 1968

Purchased. [January 1969 according to AB]

February 1970 to November 1971

N9902F - ASSOCIATED AIRMOTIVE INC. (USA)

12 February 1970

Purchased.

November 1971 to October 1976

N9902F - SHAMROCK AIRLINES (USA)

19 November 1971

Purchased.

Right: N9902F in January 1976 wearing Shamrock colors.
Photo credit: Air Team Images / www.airteamimages.com
Below: Shamrock’s N9902F at San Juan Luis Munoz Marin, Puerto Rico on 14 April 1976, months before the airline’s demise.
Photo credit: Tony Pearce / Air Britain