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)

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15 December 1944

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

  December 1944 to late 1947

  50711 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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1980

Reregistered.

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

Put up for sale.

  June 1981 to 1988

  PT-LBP - PRIVATE (BRAZIL)

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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)

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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)

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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