Commando 42-96772

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96772

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30434

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU970

FATE: Unknown

  September 1944

  42-96772 - USAAF (USA)

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7 September 1944

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

  September 1944 to 1960

  39557 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)

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7 September 1944

Transferred as R5C-1 and delivered to NAS San Diego, CA.

10 September 1944

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-35.

22 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.

21 January 1946

Assigned to Marine Fleet Air, West Coast.

February 1946

Assigned to MAG-35 Service Squadron (Servron-35).

March 1946

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

10 July 1946

Reconditioned at NAS San Diego, CA.

25 July 1946

Stored at NAS Litchfield Park, AZ.

August 1960

Struck off charge as surplus.

  1960 to ca 1961

  N4162A - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

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1960

Purchased.

  ca 1961 to unknown date

  XA-NUD - SAESA (SERVICIOS AEREOS ESPECIALES SA) (MEXICO)

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ca 1961

Purchased.

Unknown date

Withdrawn from use and stored in Mexico City, Mexico.

 

Below, left: XA-NUD in SAESA colors in Mexico City.
Photo credit: Christian Volpati / www.airlinefan.com
Below, right: XA-NUD still stored in Mexico City on 27 June 1978, with faded colors…
Photo credit: Mick Bajcar / www.airhistory.net