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)

August 1944

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

  September 1947 to 1958

  43-46982 - USAF (USA)

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)

1958

Purchased.

Converted to CW-20T.

  Summer 1958 to late 1958

  HB-AAE - AEROPA (SWITZERLAND)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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