Commando 42-96821
Aircraft Identification
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
Operational Record
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 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
Last edited: 12/04/2021