Commando 42-96707

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96707

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30369

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU905

FATE: Unknown

  August 1944 to November 1945

  42-96707 - USAAF (USA)

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18 August 1944

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

Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command, based at Baer Field, IN.

  November 1945 to 1948

  42-96707 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

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6 November 1945

Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.

  1948 to December 1948

  NC51384 - UNITED SERVICES FOR AIR INC. (USA)

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1948

Purchased from RFC.

  December 1948 to December 1949

  XT-172 - CNAC (CHINA NATIONAL AVIATION CORPORATION) (CHINA)

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23 December 1948

Purchased.

1949

Fled to Hong Kong, and grounded at Hong Kong Kai Tak by British authorities.

9 November 1949

Stolen with 11 other aircraft from Hong Kong Kai Tak by Communist defectors and ferried to Tianjin, China.

13 November 1949

Registration certificate suspended by the Nationalist government.

  December 1949

  XT-172 - CLAIRE L. CHENNAULT & WHITING WILLAUER (USA)

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12 December 1949

Purchased by Claire Chennault & Whiting Willauer, managers of CAT – on paper only, as the Commando was in Communist hands in Tianjin. This was part of an attempt supported by the US State Department to regain ownership of several CNAC & CATC aircraft.

  December 1949 to unknown date

  N8387C - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)

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19 December 1949

Transferred to CAT – once again, on paper only.

1953

Withdrawn from use. [where?]