The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 44-77873

Aircraft Identification

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77873

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33269

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1805

FATE: Unknown

Operational Record

  February 1945 to September 1947

  44-77873 - USAAF (USA)


February 1945

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

  September 1947 to November 1965

  44-77873 - USAF (USA)


18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2347th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Long Beach AFB, CA.

17 May 1958

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

2 February 1959

Sent to reclamation, then removed from surplus list.

  November 1965 to April 1967

  N59346 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)


22 November 1965

Transferred.

14 May 1966

Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  April 1967 to February 1968

  N59346 - TRADEWINDS CARGO INC. (USA)


14 April 1967

Registered.

Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.

2 October 1967

Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.

  February 1968 to February 1970

  VT-DWZ - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)


15 February 1968

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

  44-77873 - 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: 16/01/2024