The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 43-47081

Aircraft Identification

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47081

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 152

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK129

FATE: Written off

Operational Record

  December 1944

  43-47081 - USAAF (USA)


13 December 1944

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

  December 1944 to March 1952

  50708 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)


13 December 1944

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

December 1944

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

28 March 1945

Assigned to MAG-15 Service Squadron (Servron-15) based at Apamama, Gilbert Islands.

29 March 1945

Assigned to VMR-252.

July 1946

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

December 1946

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

May 1947

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

17 March 1952

Destroyed near NAS Dallas, TX in a midair fire (2/22 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a cross-country flight between NAS Dallas, TX and MCAS Cherry Point, NC with 22 souls on board. Early in the flight, the aircraft suffered an engine fire, which could not be extinguished. The occupants bailed out, but two of them did not survive.

Struck off charge.

Last edited: 24/03/2021