Commando 43-47321
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47321
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 392
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK369
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
April 1945 to April 1946
43-47321 - USAAF (USA)
27 April 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.
3 May 1945
Departed the USA for Karachi, Sindh, India.
April 1946 to ca 1957 Ca 1957 to January 1961
N9817F - WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMPORT EXPORT COMPANY (USA)
Circa 1957
Purchased from the Indian Government.
20 August 1957
Provisional Brazilian registration PP-LEN issued for Loide Aereo Nacional for a ferry from India to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but cancelled and not taken up.
28 December 1957
Ferried as N9817F from India to Miami, FL via Natal, Brazil.
July 1961 to November 1961
N105E - AIRLEASE INC. (USA)
12 July 1961
Returned from lease to Edgerton.
November 1961 to January 1962
N105E - BOREAS CORPORATION (USA)
15 November 1961
Purchased.
6 December 1961
Registration cancelled, exported to Italy.
January 1962 to July 1968
I-SILV - SAM (SOCIETA AEREA MEDITERRANEA) (ITALY)
6 January 1962
Purchased and intended to be used for cargo charters with a payload of 11,000 lbs.
31 October 1962
Operated for Alitalia in Alitalia titles on scheduled cargo routes: Rome-Milan-Frankfurt & Rome-Tripoli thrice weekly with FIAT & Maserati car parts, and Albenga-Malmo & Albenga-Stockholm twice weekly in the winter with flowers.
Early 1968
Replaced by Douglas DC6B recently withdrawn from the passenger fleet and converted into cargo aircraft. Stored in Rome, Italy.
17 July 1968
Registration cancelled.
Right: I-SILV in SAM colors at Napoli Capodichino, Italy. Date is given as 1966, but is probably 1962.
Photo credit: Airliners.net / EricG
Below: two views on I-SILV in flight, an old shot on the left and a Flight Sim rendering on the right!
Photo credit: AZFleets / Meozzi & FlyAway Simulation
July 1968 to early 1970's
N10623 - NORTH AMERICAN AIRCRAFT TRADING CORPORATION (USA)
July 1968
Purchased.
Christened "Spirit of Bissau".
Used on the Biafra Airlift.
10 September 1969
Arrived at Basel-Mulhouse, France, and stored.
31 October 1969
Ferried from Basel-Mulhouse, France to the USA.
July & August 1970
Operated freight charters within Europe out of Rotterdam, Netherlands.
27 August 1970
Ferried from Europe to Miami, FL via Prestwick, UK and Keyflavik, Iceland.
Seized by US Customs on arrival.
Right: the "Spirit of Bissau" stored at Basel-Mulhouse, France on 12 October 1969.
Photo credit: Peter Marson
Early 1970's to July 1973
N10623 - AIRCRAFT MODIFICATIONS INC. (USA)
Early 1970's
Purchased.
9 July 1973
Registration cancelled, exported to Colombia.
July 1973 to unknown dateLast edited: 30/10/2022