Commando 43-47193

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47193

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 264

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK241

FATE: Written off

  February 1945 to November 1945

  43-47193 - USAAF (USA)

15 February 1945

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

Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command based at Baer Field, IN.

  November 1945 to 1946

  43-47193 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

1 November 1945

Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.

  1946

  C-66X - LATCO (LINEAS AEREAS TRANSATLANTICAS COLOMBIANAS) (COLOMBIA)

1946

Purchased from RFC.

  1946 to 1948

  C-66 - LATCO (LINEAS AEREAS TRANSATLANTICAS COLOMBIANAS) (COLOMBIA)

1946

Reregistered.

  1948 to February 1952

  HK-66 - LATCO (LINEAS AEREAS TRANSATLANTICAS COLOMBIANAS) (COLOMBIA)

1948

Reregistered.

  February 1952

  N3955C - NATIONAL AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

February 1952

Purchased.

  February 1952 to 1953

  N3955C - RESORT AIRLINES (USA)

February 1952

Leased from the National Aircraft Corporation.

30 March 1954

Registration cancelled.

  1953 to 1954

  CU-C556 - AEROVIAS Q (CUBA)

1953

Purchased.

  1954 to unknown date

  CU-C556 - CUBANA (CUBA)

1954

Purchased.

17 May 1954

Received major damage in a landing accident at Rancho Boyeros, Cuba (no fatalities).

The Commando's landing gear collapsed on landing.

It seems that the aircraft did not fly again with Cubana following this accident.

  ca 1954 to December 1958

  YV-C-EVC - AVENSA (AEROVIAS VENEZOLANAS SA) (VENEZUELA)

ca 1954

Wreckage purchased. [full confirmation that YV-C-EVC is actually 43-47193 is required]

1955

Repaired and put into service.

Early November 1958

Repainted with no titles.

  December 1958 to unknown date

  YV-P-EPV - COMPANIA AGROPECUARIA MOTILON (VENEZUELA)

4 December 1958

Purchased from AVENSA for 284,380 bolivars.

16 December 1958

Registered.

Late 1958

Operated at least 3 weapons delivery flights between Caracas and La Orchila, Venezuela to an improvised airstrip in the Sierra Maestra, Cuba. Each flight carried 5 tons of FN Model 30 rifles and associated 7-mm Mauser ammunition, declared obsolete by the Venezuelan military and sent to Field Castro to support his fight against the Batista regime. Pilots on these flight included Capt. Hector Abdelnour Mussa, Capt. Milton Inciarte and Capt. Guillot.

The fate of YV-P-EPV is unknown, but some sources assert it was returned to AVENSA after the above arms flight were completed.