Commando 43-47369
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47369
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 439
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK417
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
June 1945 to October 1945
43-47369 - USAAF (USA)
11 June 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.
Assigned to the 1st Operational Training Unit (1 OTU) based at Rosecrans Field, MO.
Remained within the Continental USA.
October 1945 to circa 1949
43-47369 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
26 October 1945
Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.
Circa 1949 to April 1950
N1809M - ALASKA AIRLINES (USA)
Circa 1949
Purchased from RFC.
4 April 1950
Registered.
Probably not taken up.
April 1950
N1809M - DONALD "DON" L. CARDIFF (USA)
April 1950
Purchased from RFC.
8 June 1950
Registration cancelled, exported to Brazil.
April 1950 to December 1950
PP-XCB - COMPANHIA ITAU DE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)
5 April 1950
Purchased and assigned a temporary import registration. [also cited as PP-XCA, but that was most likely Commando 43-47359 instead]
Ferried to Brazil.
December 1950 to October 1955
PP-ITE - COMPANHIA ITAU DE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)
23 December 1950
Assigned a permanent registration.
October 1955 to August 1956
PP-ITE - TAN (TRANSPORTES AEREOS NACIONAL) (BRAZIL)
October 1955
Transferred as Itau was taken over by TAN.
August 1956 to July 1959
PP-ITE - REAL TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)
August 1956
Transferred as TAN was taken over by REAL.
Probably continued operating in TAN colors.
July 1959 to January 1960
PP-ITE - TAS (TRANSPORTES AEREOS SALVADOR) (BRAZIL)
30 July 1959
Purchased.
January 1960 to August 1961
PP-ITE - REAL TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)
8 January 1960
Purchased back.
Probably still operated in TAN colors.
August 1961 to September 1968
PP-ITE - VARIG (BRAZIL)
August 1961
Transferred as REAL was taken over by Varig.
Below, left: PP-ITE in VARIG colors at Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Brazil in 1965.
Photo credit: the Samba Collection / AirTeamImages.com
Below, right: the same probably around the same period.
Photo credit: postcard, unknown
September 1968 to 1981
PP-ITE - ASL ARRUDA INDUSTRIA E COMERCIO (BRAZIL)
5 September 1968
Purchased.
20 November 1971
Transferred to subsidiary Amazonense Importacao e Exportacao Ltda.
Withdrawn from use and stored at Santa Isabel do Morro, Brazil. [in the state of Tocantins, not Goias as cited]
Right: PP-ITE at Rio de Janeiro Galeao, Brazil on 8 June 1969. "C-46F"... for Freighter presumably?
Photo credit: Vito Cedrini / Airliners.net
1981
PP-ITE - AVIMOTOR LDTA (BRAZIL)
1981
Purchased, still stored at Santa Isabel do Morro, Brazil.
Left: PP-ITA as it stood after several years of abandon in Santa Isabel do Morro, Brazil.
Photo credit: Diones Correa / Flickr
1981 to March 1989
PP-ITE - PRIVATE (BRAZIL)
1981
Purchased by Almir OLIVEIRA, still stored at Santa Isabel do Morro, Brazil.
Summarily repaired and ferried to Rio de Janeiro Jacarepagua, Brazil.
Overhauled.
Right: PP-ITE being worked on at Rio de Janeiro Jacarepagua, Brazil on 26 September 1982.
Photo credit: Vito Cedrini / Airliners.net
Below, left: PP-ITE operational again, still at Jacarepagua in November 1984.
Photo credit: Pedro Aragao
Below, right: the same, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: unknown.
March 1989 to unknown date
PP-ITE - ROYAL TAXI AEREO (BRAZIL)
March 1989
Purchased. [the aircraft was presumably already operated by Royal Taxi since the mid-1980's, possibly under lease]
Unknown date
Damaged in Belem, Brazil in a landing accident. [undocumented]
Stored in Belem, Brazil.
Fate unknown.
Last edited: 27/08/2023