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 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Import permit applied for, but later withdrawn.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]
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 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