Commando 42-96805
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-50-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96805
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30467
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1003
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
December 1944 to unknown date
42-96805 - USAAF (USA)
2 December 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Unknown date to December 1945
42-96805 - CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION (USA)
Unknown date
Assigned to the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in St Louis, MO, Caldwell, NJ and Buffalo, NY. [for what purpose?]
December 1945 to September 1946
42-96805 - USAAF (USA)
13 August 1946
Assigned to Lockbourne AAF, OH. [possibly used for glider towing]
September 1946 to ca 1947
42-96805 - WAR ASSETS ADMINISTRATION (USA)
11 September 1946
Transferred to War Assets Administration.
ca 1947 to 1948
N79053 - SLICK AIRWAYS (USA)
ca 1947
Purchased from WAA.
10 December 1947
Damaged at Chicago Midway, IL in a takeoff accident (no fatalities).
The Commando stalled on climb out, force-landed and slid into four National Guard aircraft.
[according to JB, but no trace of this accident found anywhere]
1948 to unknown date
N79053 - NATS (NATIONWIDE AIR TRANSPORT SERVICES) (USA)
1948
Purchased.
1954
Withdrawn from use and stored.
Last edited: 09/08/2020