Commando 43-47193
Aircraft Identification
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
Operational Record
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.
1948 to February 1952
HK-66 - LATCO (LINEAS AEREAS TRANSATLANTICAS COLOMBIANAS) (COLOMBIA)
1948
Reregistered.
February 1952 to 1953
N3955C - RESORT AIRLINES (USA)
February 1952
Leased from the National Aircraft Corporation.
30 March 1954
Registration cancelled.
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.
Last edited: 30/10/2021