Commando 43-47415
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46E-1-CS Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47415
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 2941
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK463
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
July 1945 to November 1945
43-47415 - USAAF (USA)
21 July 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.
Intended as lend-lease to China, but cancelled.
Remained within the continental USA.
November 1945
43-47415 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
6 November 1945
Transferred to RFC and stored at Ontario AAF, CA. [also quoted as 14 November 1945]
November 1945 to April 1952
N59484 - SLICK AIRWAYS (USA)
29 November 1945
Purchased.
7 February 1946
Registered.
4 April 1952
Registration cancelled, exported to Canada.
April 1954 to September 1958
September 1958 to June 1960
CF-FBJ - EASTERN CANADA STEVEDORING (CANADA)
9 September 1958
Purchased.
January 1962 to June 1966
CF-FBJ - NORDAIR (CANADA)
18 January 1962
Purchased by Canadian Aircraft Renters Ltd. and leased out to Nordair.
3 June 1964
Operated for Wheeler Airlines by Nordair.
6 August 1964
Operated for Suidair Ltd. by Nordair.
20 June 1966
Damaged beyond repair near Chute-des-Passes, QC in poor weather conditions (2/2 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Montreal Dorval, QC and Fort Chimo, QC with two pilots on board. It disappeared while flying through poor weather conditions, which included thunderstorms. Three days later, pieces of wreckage were found on the north and northwest shores of an island of Lake Peribonka, which lies just north of Chute-des-Passes, QC. The probable cause of the accident remains undetermined.
Below: two shots of CF-FBJ at Montreal Dorval, QC, the left one from 1964.
Photo credit: FlyingHistory.com
Last edited: 09/12/2023