Commando 44-77297

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77297

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32693

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1229

FATE: Written off

  October 1944 to April 1946

  44-77297 - USAAF (USA)

21 October 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

Assigned to the 4^th Combat Cargo Group, 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Christened "Ole 97".

18 November 1944

Ferried out of Morrison Field, FL toward Sylhet, Bengal, India.

Crew:
1^st Lt. Charles E. Wood, Pilot
FO Wilbur E. Figueira, Copilot
SSgt. Wade M. Brown, Crew Chief
Sgt. William J. Ziak, Radio Operator

4 December 1944

Ferried through Karachi, Sindh, India.

Mid-December 1944

Arrived in Sylhet, Bengal, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Late December 1944

Moved to Agartala, Tripura, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

January 1945

Moved to Chittagong, Bengal, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

June 1945

Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

6 July 1945

Damaged in Namponmao, Burma in a takeoff accident.

Pilot: Lt. Louis F. Valentour (survived)

September 1945

Moved to Ledo, Assam, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

October 1945

Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

November 1945

Moved to RAF Ondal, Bengal, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Early 1946

Stored in Calcutta, Bengal, India.

  April 1946 to ca 1955

  44-77297 - INDIAN GOVERNMENT (INDIA)

10 April 1946

Purchased.

Remained stored in Calcutta, Bengal, India.

  ca 1955

  44-77297 - BANWARI LAL & CO. (INDIA)

ca 1955

Purchased. [TBC]

Remained stored in Calcutta, Bengal, India.

  ca 1955 to January 1957

  N68850 - BORGES DUSTERS INC. (USA)

ca 1955

Purchased.

13 December 1955

Registered.

21 February 1956

Ferried through Prestwick, UK, enroute from Calcutta, West Bengal, India to the USA. Aircraft was fitted with cabin tanks bringing total fuel capacity to 3,000 USGal, as it was originally scheduled to ferry via the Pacific Ocean. Ferry service provided by Fleetways Inc..

11 May 1956

Registration cancelled, export to Mexico.

  January 1957 to February 1966

  XA-LOS - AEROCARGA ESPECIALIZADA (MEXICO)

8 January 1957

Purchased.

22 February 1966

Damaged beyond repair somewhere in Mexico in a landing accident (no fatalities).

18 November 1967

Registration cancelled.

Right: XA-LOS in 1966.
Photo credit: Nefario Menendez / Facebook