The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 43-47298

Aircraft Identification

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47298

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 369

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK346

FATE: Written off

Operational Record

  April 1945

  43-47298 - USAAF (USA)


20 April 1945

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.

  April 1945 to 1947

  43-47298ROCAF (REPUBLIC OF CHINA AIR FORCE) (CHINA)


29 April 1945

Departed the USA for China via Karachi, Sindh, India.

Transferred as part of Lend-Lease agreement.

  1947 to December 1949

  XT-??? - CNAC (CHINA NATIONAL AVIATION CORPORATION) (CHINA)


1947

Transferred to CNAC.

May 1949

Ferried to Hong Kong after the Nationalist defeat in mainland China, and impounded by British Authorities under threat from the Communist Chinese government.

13 November 1949

Registration certificate suspended by the Nationalist government.

  December 1949

  XT-??? - CLAIRE L. CHENNAULT & WHITING WILLAUER (USA)


12 December 1949

Purchased by Claire Chennault & Whiting Willauer, managers of CAT – while still grounded at Hong Kong Kai Tak. This was part of an attempt supported by the US State Department to regain ownership of several CNAC & CATC aircraft.

  December 1949 to January 1956

  N8365C - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)


19 December 1949

Transferred to CAT.

  January 1956

  N2053A - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)


27 January 1956

Reregistered.

Unknown date

Converted to CW-20T.

30 January 1956

Registration cancelled, exported to Canada.

  January 1956 to November 1962

  CF-IQQ - WORLD WIDE AIRWAYS (CANADA)


Late January 1956

Purchased.

Used on DEW Line supply missions in the Far North.

7 November 1962

Registration cancelled.

 

Right: CF-IQQ pictured somewhere along the DEW Line in the late 1950's.
Photo credit: Air Transport in Canada / Robert Finlayson

  November 1962 to November 1964

  N4631S - BOREAS CORPORATION (USA)


November 1962

Purchased by Bertram D. Agardy, CEO of the Boreas Corporation.

1963 or 1964

Transferred to the Boreas Corporation.

  November 1964 to April 1969

  N295BC - BELLOMY-LAWSON AVIATION (USA)


8 November 1964

Purchased by Lawson Aviation.

1967

Transferred to Bellomy-Lawson Aviation.

  April 1969 to October 1969

  N1295B - FRANCIS "GUS" A. CONNER (USA)


11 April 1969

Probably leased from Bellomy-Lawson Aviation.

  October 1969 to April 1976

  PJ-CLE - CLTM (CARAIBISCHE LUCHT TRANSPORT MIJ) (NETHERLANDS ANTILLES)


15 October 1969

Probably leased from Bellomy-Lawson Aviation, of which CLTM was a subsidiary.

 

Left: PJ-CLE in its initial CLTM livery, unknown location, probably in the early 1970's.
Photo credit: Ron Mak / Ron Mak's Propliners

Line 1, left: another shot of the same.
Photo credit: Airliners Gallery / Bruce Drum

Line 1, right: a nice artwork of PJ-CLE's second livery.
Photo credit: RZJets

Line 2, left: probaly in Miami, FL with the new livery, unknown date.
Photo credit: Airliners Gallery / Bruce Drum

Line 2, right: PJ-CLE once again in Miami, FL undergoing maintenance on 19 June 1974.
Photo credit: Airliners.net / The Binman

Line 3, left: PJ-CLE in Miami, FL on 16 June 1975.
Photo credit: Flickr / Propfreak

Line 3, right: PJ-CLE performing a crosswind landing in Miami, FL in January 1976.
Photo credit: AirHistory.net / Bob Garrard

  April 1976 to July 1976

  N65307 - BELLOMY-LAWSON AVIATION (USA)


14 April 1976

Returned to Bellomy-Lawson Aviation.

14 July 1976

Registration cancelled, exported to Colombia.

  July 1976 to 1980

  HK-1856 - LAU (LINEAS AEREAS LA URRACA) (COLOMBIA)


July 1976

Purchased.

  1980 to 1986

  HK-1856 - AERONORTE (AEROVIAS DEL NORTE) (COLOMBIA)


1980

Purchased.

1986

Seized by the Colombian Government. [reason unknown]

Stored in Bogota El Dorado International, Colombia.

 

Right: HK-1856 in Bogota on 15 January 1988 with Aeronorte titles covered.
Photo credit: AirHistory.net / LRS747

  1986 to December 1993

  HK-1856 - LAS (LINEAS AEREAS SURAMERICANAS) (COLOMBIA)


1986

Transferred as Aeronorte changed its name to Lineas Aereas Suramericanas to reflect the opening of international routes.

 

Left: HK-1856 undergoing a major overhaul in Bogota in August 1991 before being returned to service.
Photo credit: ASN / Karl Kramer & Werner Fischdick

Below: HK-1856 receiving routine maintenance in early November 1992.
Photo credit: Flickr & AB / Peter Garwood & Greg Connell

Bottom: two other shots of the same aircraft at its Bogota base.
Photo credit: Ron Mak

  December 1993 to January 1994

  HK-1856 - TRANSOCEANICA DE AVIACION (COLOMBIA)


December 1993

Purchased.

30 January 1994

Damaged beyond repair in Puerto Inirida, Colombia in a landing accident (no fatalities).

The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Bogota and Puerto Inirida, Colombia with three crewmembers onboard. Unbeknownst to the crew, recent rains had dramatically softened the runway surface at Puerto Inirida. Upon landing, the main landing gear sank int the mud, and collapsed. [it is not known whether the aircraft nosed over]

Following this loss, Transoceanica purchased sistership HK-3205 from LAS in order to replace it.

Last edited: 12/08/2023