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The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 43-47059

Aircraft Identification

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47059

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 130

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK107

FATE: Unknown

Operational Record

  December 1944

  43-47059 - USAAF (USA)


9 December 1944

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

  December 1944 to December 1947

  50696 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)


9 December 1944

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

December 1944

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

February 1945

Assigned to VMR-352 based at MCAS Ewa, HI.

May 1945

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

June 1945

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

May 1946

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

31 July 1947

Struck off charge as surplus.

  December 1947 to June 1948

  N1620M - EARL DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT SALES (USA)


26 December 1947

Registered.

15 December 1950

Registration cancelled, exported to Argentina.

  June 1948 to October 1950

  LV-AFT - TRANSPORTES AEREOS INTERAMERICANOS (ARGENTINA)


30 June 1948

Registered to Carlos M. E. Mazol, Alejandro Porondo and Jesus Mercado, founders of Transportes Aereos Interamericanos.

14 April 1948 to 5 May 1948

Chartered by FAMA (Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina) as part of the disaster relief operation "Agrupacion Bogota" following an earthquake in Colombia. [dates discrepancy]

Operated several flights to Colombia with a payload of 5 tons of food, blood plasma and medical supplies.

  October 1950 to November 1950

  LV-FCN - COMPANIA ARGENTINA DE CARGAS AEREAS INTERNACIONALES (ARGENTINA)


24 October 1950

Purchased by A. Richard and Stanley Lowe, founders of Compania Argentina de Cargas Aereas Internacionales.

  November 1950 to unknown date

  LV-AFT - COMPANIA ARGENTINA DE CARGAS AEREAS INTERNACIONALES (ARGENTINA)


1 November 1950

Reregistrered.

21 December 1950

Started commercial operations for Compania Argentina de Cargas Aereas Internacionales.

22 February 1951

Received major damage at Caracas Maiquetia International, Venezuela in an accident, and abandoned there. [today Simon Bolivar International Airport]

2 January 1951

Registration cancelled. [dates discrepancy]

  January 1951 to April 1955

  N3979C - PRIVATE (USA)


Unknown date

Purchased by H. R. Perez of Miami, FL, repaired and offered for sale.

25 November 1953

Registration cancelled.

  April 1955 to November 1955

  XA-LEZ - TIGRES VOLADORES (MEXICO)


21 April 1955

Registered.

25 October 1955

Registration cancelled due to lack of a bill of sale.

  November 1955 to October 1961

  YV-C-LBF - LEBCA (LINEA EXPRESA BOLIVAR CA) (VENEZUELA)


November 1955

Purchased.

  October 1961 to May 1964

  OB-YAB-598 - AVASA (AEROVIAS AMAZONAS SA) (PERU)


3 October 1961

Delivered to Peru.

Pilot: Harold G. Martin.

13 October 1961

Registered.

  May 1964 to Fall 1964

  OB-M-598 - AVASA (AEROVIAS AMAZONAS SA) (PERU)


14 May 1964

Reregistered.

Fall 1964

Destroyed on the ground by a hurricane at an unknown location. [probably occured in Miami, FL in September or October 1964]

3 December 1964

Registration cancelled, destroyed.

  Fall 1964 to November 1964

  OB-M-598 - POPULAR Y PORVENIR (PERU)


Fall 1964

Wreckage transfered to insurance company in exchange for compensation payment.

  November 1964 to July 1967

  N97182 - FRANCIS AUGUSTUS CONNER (USA)


4 November 1964

Wreckage purchased.

Probably stored in Miami, FL.

  July 1967 to unknown date

  N74847 (II) - C-46 PARTS INC. (USA)


16 July 1967

Wreckage purchased.

From that point onward, reports differ. These include:

  • Spotted in London in October 1968; [few sources]
  • Broken up in 1970; [most sources]
  • Registration cancelled and exported to Bolivia on 30 September 1975. [FAA]

Actual fate unconfirmed.

[not to be mistaken with N74847 (I), which is Commando 42-101224]

Last edited: 15/03/2021