Commando 43-47344
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47344
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 415
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK392
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
May 1945
43-47344 - USAAF (USA)
19 May 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.
May 1945 to January 1947
43-47344 - ROCAF (REPUBLIC OF CHINA AIR FORCE) (CHINA)
28 May 1945
Departed the USA for China via Karachi, Sindh, India.
Transferred as part of Lend-Lease agreement.
January 1947 to circa 1948
XT-153 - CNAC (CHINA NATIONAL AVIATION CORPORATION) (CHINA)
January 1947
Transferred to CNAC.
27 February 1948
Still present in CNAC fleet list under this registration.
Circa 1948 to December 1949
XT-148 - CNAC (CHINA NATIONAL AVIATION CORPORATION) (CHINA)
Circa 1948
Reregistered.
Mid-1949
Ferried to Hong Kong after the Nationalist defeat in mainland China.
13 November 1949
Registration certificate suspended by the Nationalist government.
16 November 1949
Impounded by British Authorities under threat from the Communist Chinese government.
December 1949
XT-148 - 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 unknown date
N8377C - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)
19 December 1949
Transferred to CAT.
January 1953
Probably transported on board aircraft carrier CVE-92 Windham Bay from Hong Kong to the USA.
26 February 1953
Registration cancelled.
Unknown date to March 1955
N90619 - UNKNOWN OPERATOR (USA)
Early 1953
Purchased by an unknown entity.
March 1955 to May 1955
XH-050 - PRIVATE (HONDURAS)
09 March 1955
Purchased by Mario Valenzuela, a Honduran architectural engineer intent on starting a cargo airline that failed after two months.
May 1955 to October 1955
XH-SAI - SAHSA (SERVICIOS AEREOS DE HONDURAS SA) (HONDURAS)
25 May 1955
Either purchased, or leased from Mario Valenzuela.
20 October 1955
Withdrawn from use.
[a gap exists here, along with doubts whether XH-SAI was 43-47321 / 392 / CK369 or 43-47344 / 415 / CK392 - we have come to the conclusion it is the latter]
February 1956 to September 1975
YV-C-AMR - LAV (LINEA AEROPOSTAL VENEZOLANA) (VENEZUELA)
13 February 1956
Purchased and operated as a cargo aircraft.
1971
Withdrawn from use in Caracas, Venezuela.
Below, left: YV-C-AMR in LAV's early livery, seen in Miami, FL in July 1959.
Photo credit: Mel Lawrence / Airliners.net
Below, right: Newer paint scheme for YV-C-AMR now in San Antonio, TX on 25 March 2969.
Photo credit: John Mounce / DHC-2.com
Bottom, left: YV-C-AMR in Aeropostal's striking 1970's livery, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: Christian Volpati / AirlinersGallery
Bottom, right: The same in another unknown place.
Photo credit: Pat Whelan / Flickr
September 1975 to 1978
YV-16C - LAV (LINEA AEROPOSTAL VENEZOLANA) (VENEZUELA)
September 1975
Reregistered, and possibly returned to service.
1976
Withdrawn from use.
1978 to unknown date
YV-305C - COMERAVIA LINEA AEREA (VENEZUELA)
1978
Purchased.
Unknown date
Received major damage at Caracas Simon Bolivar International, Venezuela in an undocumented accident.
By October 1980
Withdrawn from use and stored at Caracas Simon Bolivar International, Venezuela.
Right: YV-305C pushed in the grass in Caracas, Venezuela after its accident, seen on 9 October 1980.
Photo credit: Peter Davis / Air Britain
Last edited: 12/08/2023