Commando 44-77588

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77588

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32984

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1520

FATE: Unknown

  December 1944 to September 1947

  44-77588 - USAAF (USA)

December 1944

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

Unknown date

Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command, 813^th AAFBU, Sedalia AAF, MO, Squadron C.

20 April 1945

Damaged at Sedalia AAF, MO in a taxi accident.

Pilot: Harry Stephens

Several Commandos of Squadron A and C collided with each other that day at Sedalia AAF, and were damaged.

  September 1947 to November 1965

  44-77588 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to 2346^th Air Force Reserve Training Center, based at McClellan AFB, CA.

23 August 1958

Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  November 1965 to January 1967

  N53921 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)

22 November 1965

Transferred.

2 February 1966

Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL. [AIIMF?]

  January 1967 to August 1967

  N53921 - TRADEWINDS CARGO INC. (USA)

16 January 1967

Registered.

Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.

10 October 1968

Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.

  August 1967 to February 1970

  VT-DVO - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)

17 August 1967

Registered.

Operated by the Aviation Research Center (ARC) of India with the technical support of the CIA as part of operation Oak Tree.

Based at Charbatia AB, Odisha, India, flying clandestine missions over Chinese-occupied Tibet.

  February 1970 to April 1973

  44-77588 - USAF (USA)

28 February 1970

Returned to the USAF.

Assigned to the 56^th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand.

1 April 1973

Struck off charge.

Fate unknown, probably never left India.