Commando 44-77548
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77548
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32944
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1480
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
December 1944 to September 1947
44-77548 - USAAF (USA)
December 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to the 9th Air Force, 52nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313th Troop Carrier Group, 49th Troop Carrier Squadron.
Marked "H2-L".
March 1945
Took part in Operation Varsity.
Right & below: 44-77548 on a paradrop mission, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: WWII Photos
September 1947 to November 1965
44-77548 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Assigned to the 464th Troop Carrier Group, 776th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Lawson AFB, GA.
2 June 1953
Received minor damage 8 km west of Lawson AFB, GA in a bird strike.
Unknown date
Assigned to the 2577th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Brooks AFB, TX.
12 April 1958
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
25 October 1961
Retrieved from storage and sent to the Middletown Air Materiel Area at Harrisburg-Olmsted AFB, PA for overhaul.
Returned to service with the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron based at Eglin AFB, FL.
22 November 1964
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
November 1965 to August 1966
N52331 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)
22 November 1965
Purchased.
20 January 1966
Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL. [AIIMF?]
August 1966 to August 1967
N52331 - TRADEWINDS CARGO INC. (USA)
2 August 1966
Registered.
Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.
10 October 1966
Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.
August 1967 to February 1970
VT-DVQ - 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
44-77548 - USAF (USA)
28 February 1970
Returned to the USAF.
Assigned to the 56th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand.
1 April 1973
Struck off charge.
Fate unknown, probably never left India.
Last edited: 02/05/2024