Commando 43-47378

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

  June 1945 to April 1946

  43-47378 - USAAF (USA)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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19 December 1949

Transferred to CAT.

26 March 1953

Registration cancelled.

  1953 to June 1955

  N2051A - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)

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1953

Transferred to CAT SA, Panama.

  June 1955 to July 1955

  N1378N - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

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14 June 1955

Purchased.

12 July 1955

Reregistered.

  July 1955 to 1956

  CF-IHQ - WORLD WIDE AIRWAYS (CANADA)

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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)

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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