The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 43-47201

Aircraft Identification

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47201

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 273 [swapped mistakenly with 272, which received serial number 43-47202]

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK250

FATE: Unknown

Operational Record

  February 1945 to April 1946

  43-47201 - USAAF (USA)


24 February 1945

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

2 March 1945

Departed the USA for Karachi, Sindh, India.

Probably assigned to ATC India-China Division.

   April 1946 to January 1957

  43-47201 - INDIAN GOVERNMENT (INDIA)


10 April 1946

Purchased.

  January 1957 to April 1957

  43-47201 - CARIBBEAN AIRCRAFT & SUPPLY CO. (USA)


16 January 1957

Purchased, and refurbished in India.

  April 1957 to October 1959

  N7848B - L & J TRADING COMPANY (USA)


29 March 1957

Purchased.

27 April 1957

Delivered to Miami, FL.

10 May 1957

Registered.

Converted to C-46R, as the first Commando to receive that conversion, and used as demonstrator.

October - November 1957

Visited London, UK.

  Unknown dates

  OB-??? - TAPSA (TRANSPORTES AEREOS PERUANAS SA) (PERU)


Unknown date

Import permit applied for, but later withdrawn.

Never taken up.

  October 1959 to July 1968

  YV-C-ERF - RANSA (RUTAS AEREAS NACIONALES SA) (VENEZUELA)


October 1959

Purchased.

25 November 1959

Registered.

  July 1968 to September 1968

  N7848B - CAROLINA AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)


5 July 1968

Purchased.

18 July 1968

Registration restored. [HP-238 quoted as former identity, but that was 41-12337]

  September 1968 to May 1972

  N7848B - INTERIOR AIRWAYS (USA)


18 September 1968

Purchased.

  May 1972 to October 1978

  N7848B - FAIRBANKS AIR SERVICE (USA)


10 May 1972

Purchased.

14 June 1973

Purchased by Alaska Rental & Sales Inc. and leased back to Fairbanks Air Service.

  October 1978 to 1982

  N7848B - NENANA FUEL COMPANY (USA)


October 1978

Leased from Alaska Rental & Sales Inc..

3-4 October 1978

Flight tested from Fairbanks, AK after 12 months of storage.

 

Right: N7848B  at Fairbanks in September 1979, operated by Nenana Fuel Company carrying bulk oil to remote localities.
Photo credit: Geoff Goodall / AV.CA

  1982 to 1985

  N7848B - AIR NORTH (CANADA)


1982

Leased from Alaska Rental & Sales Inc..

  1985 to August 2000

  N7848B - EVERTS AIR FUEL (USA)


1985

Leased from Alaska Rental & Sales.

Christened "Dumbo".

6 January 1985

Annual inspection.

14 March 1985

Received major damage at Nulato, AK in a landing accident (0/2 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a cargo flight into Nulato, AK with only two pilots onboard. Upon landing, the aircraft skidded on the runway and made an overrun into a snowbank. Nobody was injured.

Airframe total time 2,803 hrs.

Repaired ans returned to service.

June 2000

Returned to Alaska Rental & Sales Inc..

 

Below, left: N7848B parked on the snowy ramp of Fairbanks, AK on 30 October 1993.
Photo credit: Larry Johnson / AV.CA

Below, right: another view on the old Everts scheme on 10 September 1995.
Photo credit: Neil Aird / DHC-2.com

  August 2000 to present

  N7848B - EVERTS AIR CARGO (USA)


August 2000

Purchased by Tatonduk Outfitters and leased out to Air Cargo Express, part of Everts Air Fuel.

By early 2023

Still in operation.

 

Below, top left: N7848B loading up in Icy Bay, AK in Air Cargo Express colors, probably in the early 2000's.
Photo credit: unknown

Below, top right: a fantastic shot of Dumbo landing in Anchorage, AK on 6 June 2006.
Photo credit: Aad van der Voet / AirHistory.net

Below, bottom left: now in Everts Air Cargo colors, N7848B lines up in Anchorage, AK on 4 June 2008.
Photo credit: Terry Fletcher / AV.CA

Below, bottom right: another shot in Anchorage, AK, on the ramp this time - 14 May 2009.
Photo credit: Reinhard Jost / AV.CA

Last edited: 31/12/2022