Commando 43-46982

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-5-CK Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-46982

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 53

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK30

FATE: Written off

  August 1944 to September 1947

  43-46982 - USAAF (USA)

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August 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Louisville, KY.

  September 1947 to 1958

  43-46982 - USAF (USA)

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18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Modified by Curtiss-Wright for USAF.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2346^th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Paine Field, WA.

1 October 1957

Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

24 October 1957

Sent for reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  1958 to summer 1958

  N4215A - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

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1958

Purchased.

Converted to CW-20T.

  Summer 1958 to late 1958

  HB-AAE - AEROPA (SWITZERLAND)

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Summer 1958

Leased from L. B. Smith.

Not taken up as the airline failed to start operations.

  Late 1958 to June 1959

  N4215A - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

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Late 1958

Remained with L. B. Smith.

31 March 1959

Registered.

4 June 1959

Registration cancelled, export to Sweden.

  June 1959 to October 1961

  SE-CFF - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)

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2 June 1959

Left Miami, FL on delivery flight to Stockholm Bromma, Sweden. total airframe time 5,025 hours.

 

Right: SE-CFF, still in its early Transair Sweden attire, probably seen in Prestwick, UK in 1960.
Photo credit: C. S. Waterfall & Dave Welch / Air Britain

  October 1961 to December 1961

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

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October 1961

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

5 October 1961

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

2 December 1961

Damaged in Angola in a forced landing (0/4 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a reconnaissance flight from Kongolo to Lualabourg, Congo with three crew and one passenger. Enroute, an engine failed and the crew had to perform a forced landing in Angolan territory.

 

Left: SE-CFF with UN markings on the tail, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: unknown / BAAA

  December 1961 to October 1963

  SE-CFF - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)

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December 1961

End of lease contract with the United Nations due to accident.

Later repaired and returned to service.

  October 1963 to January 1964

  SE-CFF - CONGO GOVERNMENT (CONGO LEOPOLDVILLE)

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14 October 1963

Leased by Transair Sweden to the Congo Government, and operated under Transair Congo markings.

13 January 1964

Damaged beyond repair in Thysville, Congo (today Mbanza-Ngungu) in a takeoff accident (0/2 fatalities).

The Commando was performing a humanitarian cargo flight from Thysville, Congo. During takeoff, the aircraft failed to get airborne, and crashed in a field beyond the runway. Both crewmembers were unhurt while the aircraft was destroyed.

 

Right: SE-CFF in Thysville after the January 1964 crash.
Photo credit: unknown / BAAA