Commando 43-47218
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47218
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 289
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK266
FATE: Stored
Operational Record
February 1945 to April 1946
43-47218 - USAAF (USA)
28 February 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Louisville, KY.
8 March 1945
Departed the USA for Karachi, Sindh, India.
Probably assigned to ATC India-China Division.
April 1946 to late 1955
Late 1955 to January 1956
YV-C-ERB (I) - RANSA (RUTAS AEREAS NACIONALES SA) (VENEZUELA)
Late 1955
Registration reserved.
17 January 1956
Registration cancelled, never imported.
January 1956 to January 1959
N5134B - MIAMI AIRCRAFT & ENGINE SALES (USA)
19 January 1956
Purchased.
November 1963 to July 1964
N5134B - AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL (USA)
29 November 1963
Transferred as Riddle was renamed Airlift.
July 1964 to September 1966
N5134B - ZANTOP AIR TRANSPORT (USA)
16 July 1964
Leased from Riddle.
4 August 1966
Purchased from Riddle.
September 1966 to March 1968
N5134B - UNIVERSAL AIRLINES (USA)
21 September 1966
Tranferred as Zantop changed its name to Universal.
March 1968 to June 1968
N5134B - AVIATION ASSOCIATES OF GEORGIA (USA)
15 March 1968
Purchased.
Right: N5134B shot in Miami, FL in June 1968 still wearing Universal colors but awaiting its transfer to Bellomy-Lawson.
Photo credits: Bob Garrard / Flickr
July 1968 to May 1969
N5134B - CENTRAL CARIBBEAN AIRLINES (USA)
July 1968
Leased from Bellomy-Lawson.
June 1970 to March 1973
N5134B - FLORIDA CARIBBEAN AIRLINES (USA)
10 June 1970
Purchased.
21 July 1971
Grounded following Florida Caribbean's AOC revocation.
Left: N5134B seen in Miami, FL in Florida Caribbean colors.
Photo credit: Bruce Drum / AirlinersGallery
August 1973 to January 1976
N137R - RICH INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS (USA)
9 August 1973
Reregistered.
Late 1975
Wings removed, and presumably replaced by those of N74173 (I), another Rich Commando which they parted out.
January 1976 to September 1984
N74173 (II) - RICH INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS (USA)
20 January 1976
Reregistered.
Right: N74173 (II) seen in Miami, FL on 3 October 1977.
Photo credit: Geoff Goodall / AirHistory.net
Below, line 1: two black & white shots of the same, still in Miami, FL on 20 April 1978 and in 1979.
Photo credit: respectively Paul J. Hooper & Mike Henninger (upload) / AV.CA
Below, line 2: two additional color shots in the old Rich livery, the right one in Miami, FL in October 1979.
Photo credit: respectively Trevor Bartlett & Geoff Goodall / Air Britain & AV.CA
Below, line 3: N74173 (II) wearing Rich's new colors, the right one qgqin in Miami, FL on 31 May 1981.
Photo credit: respectively EZ/ZX & Gerard Helmer / Flickr & AirHistory.net
Bottom, alone: N74173 (II) still with Rich, landing in Miami, FL in March 1983.
Photo credit: Bob Garrard / AirHistory.net
September 1984 to February 1985
N74173 (II) - BELLOMY-LAWSON AVIATION (USA)
28 September 1984
Purchased.
February 1985 to November 1989
N74173 (II) - AERIAL TRANSIT (USA)
February 1985
Purchased.
Used to start Aerial Transit all-cargo operations between Miami, FL and the Caribbean.
From 1987
Replaced along with sistership by two Douglas DC6BFs.
Right: N74173 in Miami, FL in 1986, with Rich livery painted over.
Photo credit: Andy O'Shea / AV.CA
October 2000 to present
N74173 (II) - YANKS AIR MUSEUM (USA)
October 2000
Purchased.
Stored outdoors on the museum apron in Chino, CA.
Below: a few shots of N74173 at the Yanks Air Museum. Strangely enough, the white paint wore out and Rich's livery is back! Yanks, any plan for a restoration? ;)
Photo credits: R.A. Scholefield (2008) / Karsten Palt (2012) / Alan Wilson (2016) / Paul Daly (2019)
Last edited: 18/05/2022