Commando 42-96821

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-50-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96821

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30483

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1019

FATE: Written off

  September 1944 to April 1946

  42-96821 - USAAF (USA)

15 September 1944

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

13 November 1944

Assigned to ATC North African Division.

4 December 1944

Assigned to ATC India-China Division.

Unknown date

Assigned to Karachi, Sindh, India.

  April 1946 to April 1956

  42-96821 - INDIAN GOVERNMENT (INDIA)

10 April 1946

Purchased.

  April 1956 to April 1957

  N2085A - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

April 1956

Ferried from India to Miami, FL.

Converted to CW-20T.

7 March 1957

Registered.

2 April 1957

Registration cancelled.

  April 1957 to October 1961

  SE-CFA - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)

4 April 1957

Left Miami, FL on delivery flight to Stockholm Bromma, Sweden.

7 April 1957

Arrived in Stockholm Bromma, Sweden on its delivery flight from Miami, FL.

8 April 1957

First revenue flight for Transair, to Palma de Majorca, Spain with 54 passengers on behalf of Wingtours of Sweden.

18 February 1958

Damaged at Le Bourget, France.

26 April 1958

Repaired and returned to service.

Right: SE-CFA, the first of many Commandos later purchased by Transair Sweden, seen here in Malmo in 1961
Photo credit: BL / www.timetableimages.com

  October 1961 to June 1964

  SE-CFA - ONUC (UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN THE CONGO)

October 1961

Leased by Transair Sweden to the United Nations mission in Congo.

24 October 1961

Left Stockholm, Sweden on delivery flight to Leopoldville, Congo.

25 December 1962

Received major damage in Lualabourg, Congo.

9 March 1963

Repaired and returned to service.

19 April 1963

Left Leopoldville, Congo for Malmo, Sweden.

4 May 1963

Damaged at Venice San Nicolo, Italy in a collision with an Italian Air Force C-47.

Repaired, overhauled at Officine Aeronavali and converted to Super 46C.

1 February 1964

Left Malmo, Sweden to return to Leopoldville, Congo.

[from late 1963, the ONUC contract had apparently been transferred to the Congolese Government, thence SE-CFA was actually probably operated by them and not the UN on this second mission, even though no source mentions that]

  June 1964 to June 1965

  SE-CFA - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)

1 June 1964

Left Leopoldville, Congo for Malmo, Sweden – end of lease contract with the United Nations

18 June 1964

Arrived in Malmo, Sweden from Leopoldville, Congo.

Left: SE-CFA at busy London Gatwick, surrounded with other classic – yet more modern – airliners. Unknown date.
Photo credit: unknown / The Aviation Photo Company

  June 1965 to October 1966

  SE-CFA - TOR-AIR (SWEDEN)

4 June 1965

Purchased, but not repainted. Total airframe time 13,799 hours.

Below, left: Tor-Air’s SE-CFA in Southampton, UK on 8 October 1965.
Photo credit: Barry Friend / AB

Below, right: SE-CFA in London Gatwick on 17 April 1966 for a passenger flight. Note Tor-Air’s Viking head now painted on the tail.
Photo credit: Brendan McCartney / AB

  October 1966 to late 1967

  SE-CFA - FAIRLINE (SWEDEN)

October 1966

Purchased as Fairline’s first aircraft.

21 October 1966

Repainted in Malmo, Sweden with a blue tail and orange sidelines.

Deployed on Tor-Air’s former Malmo-Southend-Amsterdam-Malmo cargo route, flown since the bankruptcy by Transair Sweden.

Below, left: Fairline’s SE-CFA visits Rotterdam, the Netherlands on 25 February 1967.
Photo credit: Nico Terlouw / oud16hoven.nl

Below, right: a rare color shot of Fairline’s livery.
Photo credit: Paul Zogg / zoggavia.com

  Late 1967 to August 1968

  9Q-CWN - ANSTALT WIGMO (CONGO KINSHASA)

Late 1967

Purchased by Aero Suppliers Establishment, Liechtenstein at an auction along with sistership SE-CFD / 42-3580.

Operated in Congo by Anstalt Wigmo, in support of the Congolese Air Force against Simba rebels and the Angolese FNLA against Angola’s communist government.

19 June 1968

Delivered to Kinshasa, Congo from Malmo, Sweden.

Natural metal livery with a white top extending to below the windows, red prop spinners. Normal-sized registration on the rear fuselage, along with national insignia.

June 1968: 9Q-CWN graces Malmo’s ramp for a while longer, awaiting its final delivery flight to Congo.
Photo credit: Nico Terlouw / oud16hoven.nl

  August 1968 to late 1969

  9T-PLK - ANSTALT WIGMO (CONGO KINSHASA)

August 1968

Received a military registration.

  Late 1969 to July 1970

  9T-PLK - SODEMAC (CONGO KINSHASA)

Late 1969

Transferred as Anstalt Wigmo was renamed SODEMAC.

15 July 1970

Damaged beyond repair in Mbuji Mayi, Congo in a landing accident following an engine failure (no fatalities).

Crew:
Lars Britzelli, Captain
Roberth Forsberg, First Officer

The Commando was operating a flight between Kinshasa and Kalemie, Congo. In cruise, the left engine failed and the crew elected to divert to Mbuji Mayi. After landing, the aircraft rolled into a large ditch, ripping off the undercarriage and snapping the left wing.

Left: 9T-PLK's crash in Mbuji-Mayi, Congo Leopoldville on 15 July 1970.
Photo credit: Jan Hekker / Small Air Forces Observer Vol.36 No.2