Commando 43-47378
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47378
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 448
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK426
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
June 1945 to April 1946
43-47378 - USAAF (USA)
21 June 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.
12 July 1945
Departed the USA for China via Karachi, Sindh, India.
Unknown date
Assigned to Chungking, Sichuan, China.
April 1946 to December 1949
XT-??? - CNAC (CHINA NATIONAL AVIATION CORPORATION) (CHINA)
15 April 1946
Transferred to CNAC.
Mid-1949
Probably 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-??? - 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 1953
N8366C - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)
19 December 1949
Transferred to CAT.
26 March 1953
Registration cancelled.
June 1955 to July 1955
N1378N - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)
14 June 1955
Purchased.
12 July 1955
Reregistered.
July 1955 to 1956
CF-IHQ - WORLD WIDE AIRWAYS (CANADA)
12 July 1955
Purchased by Montreal Air Services.
14 July 1955
Leased to World Wide Airways and operated for the resupply of DEW line sites.
27 September 1955
Damaged at DEW Site 35 in an undocumented accident.
1956 to March 1960
CF-IHQ - WHEELER AIRLINES (CANADA)
1956
Purchased.
25 March 1960
Damaged beyond repair at DEW Site 28 in an approach accident (0/2 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a cargo flight to resupply several DEW line sites, with two pilots onboard. On approach to DEW Site 28, near Pelly Bay, NWT, the aircraft struck the ground while on the downwind leg. It was damaged beyond repair and both pilots were severely injured.
Below: a recent view on CF-IHQ's wreck resting on permafrost near Pelly Bay.
Photo credit: unknown
Last edited: 27/10/2023