Commando 43-47084

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47084

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 155

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK132

FATE: Preserved

  December 1944

  43-47084 - USAAF (USA)

15 December 1944

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

  December 1944 to late 1947

  50711 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)

15 December 1944

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

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

31 March 1945

Assigned to Air Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.

April 1945

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

31 July 1947

Struck off charge as surplus.

  Late 1947 to October 1948

  PP-XBR - PRIVATE (BRAZIL)

Late 1947

Purchased by businessman Vinicius Valadares Vasconcelos of Lagoa Santa, Brazil with the intent of founding a new airline.

  October 1948 to 1980

  FAB-2058 - FORCA AEREA BRASILEIRA (BRAZIL)

15 October 1948

Purchased at a reduced price as Vasconcelos was looking for cash after he ran into financial difficulties.

Assigned to the 2° Grupo de Transporte, carried passengers and cargo on domestic and international mail routes (Correio Aereo Nacional, CAN).

1956

Transferred to the Parque de Aeronautica dos Alfonso (PAAF/Maintenance Depot) and used on transport and logistics missions.

17 April 1968

Declared surplus.

Right: FAB-2058's various liveries. First in 1948 operating for CAN, next in 1963 flying for PAAF, and last in 1967 still with PAAF just before retirement.
Image credit: Rudrei / Historia da Force Aerea Brasileira

Below: FAB-2058 with PAAF, probably in the late 1960's.
Photo credit: Historia da Force Aerea Brasileira

  1980 to June 1981

  PP-ZBE - FORCA AEREA BRASILEIRA (BRAZIL)

1980

Reregistered.

Flown to Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Brazil and stored.

Put up for sale.

  June 1981 to 1988

  PT-LBP - PRIVATE (BRAZIL)

June 1981

Purchased by Roberto H. ROBAINA. [or RUBAINA] [erroneously quoted as PP-LBP]

Remained stored at Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Brazil.

Right: PT-LBP at Rio Santos Dumont on 26 September 1981.
Photo credit: Vito Cedrini / Airliners.net

Below: PT-LBP still in storage at Santos Dumont in November 1985.
Photo credit: FlightAware

  1988 to 1997

  PT-LBP - ROYAL TAXI AEREO (BRAZIL)

1988

Purchased.

Flown to Belem, Brazil and refurbished.

ca 1991

Stored in Belem, Brazil.

ca 1992

Withdrawn from use and stored in Brasilia, Brazil.

  1997 to present

  FAB-2058 - MUSAL (MUSEU AEROESPACIAL) (BRAZIL)

1997

Purchased.

Flown to Rio de Janeiro Galeao, Brazil and refurbished by VARIG.

3 July 1998

Flown to MUSAL facilities at Campo dos Afonsos, Brazil by Jose Jau Margalho & Elizeu Fernandes.

Displayed in Forca Aerea Brasileira colors.

Right: PT-LBP being refurbished at VARIG's Galeao International workshops in May 1998.
Photo credit: Daniel R. Carneiro / Airliners.net

Below, left: FAB-2058 at MUSAL on 17 January 2010.
Photo credit: Hartmut Ehlers / Flugzeuginfo.net

Below, right: the same, cleaner, unknown date.
Photo credit: Guilherme Byestronski / Armasnacionais.com