Commando 44-77304
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77304
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32700
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1236
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
October 1944 to April 1946
44-77304 - USAAF (USA)
23 October 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to the 4th Combat Cargo Group, 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
18 November 1944
Ferried out of Morrison Field, FL toward Sylhet, Bengal, India.
Crew:
1st Lt. Hayden G. Wilcox Jr., Pilot
2nd Lt. Thomas D. Chewning, Copilot
SSgt. William B. Pilker, Crew Chief
Sgt. Robert Fallon Jr., Radio Operator
4 December 1944
Ferried through Karachi, Sindh, India.
Mid-December 1944
Arrived in Sylhet, Bengal, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
Late December 1944
Moved to Agartala, Tripura, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
January 1945
Moved to Chittagong, Bengal, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
June 1945
Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
September 1945
Moved to Ledo, Assam, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
October 1945
Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
November 1945
Moved to RAF Ondal, Bengal, India with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron.
April 1946 to early 1955 Early 1955 to June 1955
44-77304 - WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMPORT EXPORT COMPANY (USA)
Early 1955
Probably purchased from the Indian Government, ferried to the USA and refurbished.
June 1955 to January 1956
YV-C-ARX (I) - RANSA (RUTAS AEREAS NACIONALES SA) (VENEZUELA)
24 June 1955
Purchased.
Officially registered YV-C-ARX, but apparently bore registration YV-C-ARZ on the fuselage.
[not to be mistaken with YV-C-ARZ, Commando 44-78447, which bore the same registration later]
27 August 1955
Departed India on a ferry flight to Miami, FL.
3 September 1955
Ferried through Prestwick, UK.
11 September 1955
Arrived in Miami, FL.
Right: YV-C-ARX and sistership YV-C-ARZ in Prestwick on 3 September 1955 during their ferry flight from India. It appears both aircraft registrations were mixed up.
Photo credit: Ken Tilley / Air Britain
January 1956
YV-C-ARZ (I) - FLORIDA AIRCRAFT LEASING CORPORATION (USA)
January 1956
Probably purchased.
January 1956 to November 1963
N5132B - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)
4 January 1956
Purchased or leased from the Florida Aircraft Leasing Corporation. [possibly a 3-year lease-purchase agreement like several other Commandos sold to Riddle by Florida at that time]
Left: N5132B with Riddle, date & location unknown.
Photo credit: Charles Darby / NA3T
November 1963 to July 1964
N5132B - AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL (USA)
29 November 1963
Transferred as Riddle changed its name to Airlift.
July 1964 to 1966
N5132B - ZANTOP AIR TRANSPORT (USA)
16 July 1964
Leased from Airlift.
13 September 1965
Received major damage near Dover AFB, DE in a forced landing (0/3 fatalities).
The Commando departed Dover AFB, DE on a military contract cargo flight. During climbout, a false engine fire warning occured and the engine was feathered. The crew turned back to Dover AFB, where the conditions were less than 3 miles visibility, 500ft ceiling, fog, drizzle and rain showers. On approach, the landing gear failed to lock down due to a hydraulic leak in a windshield wiper. The pilot elected to make a belly landing short of the runway. The aircraft was substantially damaged but all three crewmembers escaped with minor injuries.
Total airframe time 17,520 hours.
Not repaired.
1966 to August 1969
N5132B - UNIVERSAL AIRLINES (USA)
1966
Wreckage transferred as Zantop changed its name to Universal.
23 August 1966
Wreckage purchased from Airlift.
August 1969 to unknown date
N5132B - ASSOCIATED AIRMOTIVE INC. (USA)
5 August 1969
Wreckage purchased.
Fate unknown.
Last edited: 17/03/2021