Commando 43-47015

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47015

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 86

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK63

FATE: Unknown

  October 1944

  43-47015 - USAAF (USA)

16 October 1944

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

  October 1944 to 1956

  39591 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)

16 October 1944

Transferred as R5C-1 and delivered to NAS San Diego, CA.

Sent to the Lockheed Modification Center at Dallas Love Field, TX.

7 November 1944

Delivered from the Lockheed Modification Center at Dallas Love Field, TX.

November 1944

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-35.

May 1945

Assigned to VMR-953 based at MCAS Ewa, HI.

June 1945

Assigned to VMR-952 based on Guam, Marianna Islands.

October 1946

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

20 February 1947

Overhauled at NAS San Diego, CA.

April 1947

Assigned to VMR-952 based at MCAS Cherry Point, NC.

May 1947

Assigned to VMR-252 based at MCAS Cherry Point, NC.

  1956 to July 1957

  N4164A - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

2 July 1956

Purchased, rebuilt and converted to CW-20T.

18 June 1957

Registration cancelled, exported to Sweden.

  July 1957 to December 1960

  SE-CFC - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)

2 July 1957

Left Miami, FL for delivery to Sweden. Total airframe time 2,453 hours.

5 July 1957

Arrived in Malmo, Sweden.

12 July 1957

Operated its first commercial flight for Transair Sweden.

Right: SE-CFC early in its Transair career.
Photo credit: Michael Magnusson

  December 1960 to June 1963

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

30 December 1960

Wet-leased by Transair Sweden to the United Nations mission in Congo - the first of many Transair Sweden Commandos to operate there.

Delivered from Malmo, Sweden to Leopoldville, Congo.

20 October 1961

Returned to Malmo, Sweden from Leopoldville, Congo and onwards to Officine Aeronavali in Venice, Italy for overhaul.

10 February 1962

Left Malmo, Sweden for Leopoldville, Congo.

31 March 1962

Damaged in Manono, Congo in a crash landing.

14 April 1963

Repaired with parts from SE-CFB, including the entire cockpit, and returned to service.

Right: SE-CFC sitting in Albertville, Congo in UN, some time before its 1962 accident.
Photo credit: Michael Magnusson

  June 1963 to January 1964

  SE-CFC - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)

28 June 1963

Left Leopoldville, Congo for Venice, Italy – end of lease contract with the United Nations and extended repairs at Officine Aeronavali.

  January 1964 to May 1966

  SE-CFC - CONGO GOVERNMENT (CONGO LEOPOLDVILLE)

17 January 1964

Leased by Transair Sweden to the Congo Government.

17 December 1965

Last commercial flight for the Congo Government, dba Transair Congo, between Lualabourg and Leopoldville, Congo.

Stored in Leopoldville, Congo.

  May 1966 to August 1966

  SE-CFC - TRANSAIR SWEDEN (SWEDEN)

24 May 1966

Flown to Las Palmas, Canary Islands for storage – end of lease contract with the Congo Government.

Right: SE-CFC stored in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, ca 1966-1967.
Photo credit: lae.blogg.se

  August 1966 to June 1969

  PP-BUA - PARAENSE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)

August 1966

Purchased.

11-12 May 1967

Delivered from Las Palmas, Canary Islands to Belem, Brazil via Dakar, Senegal.

13 July 1967

Registered. Total airframe time 12,327 hours.

16 February 1969

Damaged in Manaus, Brazil after taxiing into a ditch.

Repaired.

  June 1969

  PP-BUA - FAIRCHILD-HILLER CORPORATION (USA)

4 June 1969

Traded in as part of the sale of six FH-227 to Paraense Transportes Aereos.

  June 1969 to January 1972

  N9020 - INTERNATIONAL EXPORT & IMPORT COMPANY (USA)

11 June 1969

Purchased.

Possibly kept flying for Paraense despite new ownership until September 1970.

September 1970

Withdrawn from use in Miami, FL.

December 1970

Registered.

February 1971

Seized by US Customs.

22 November 1972

Registration cancelled.

  January 1972 to 1977

  CP-960 - FRIMO (FRIGORIFICO MOVIMA) (BOLIVIA)

January 1972

Purchased.

2 February 1975

Received major damage in Reyes, Bolivia after the undercarriage collapsed during the takeoff run.

October 1977

Stored at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia.

Right: SE-CFC seen at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia on 27 December 1972.
Photo credit: Christian Volpati