Commando 44-77722

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77722

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33118

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1654

FATE: Unknown

  January 1945 to September 1947

  44-77722 - USAAF (USA)

January 1945

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

Unknown date

Assigned to the 349^th Troop Carrier Group, 312^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Bergstrom AAF, TX.

10 May 1946

Received major damage at San Marcos AAF, TX in a landing accident.

Pilot: Wilbur M. Anderson

  September 1947 to November 1965

  44-77722 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

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

18 April 1958

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

  November 1965 to January 1967

  N56317 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)

22 November 1965

Transferred.

29 March 1966

Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL. [date also quoted as 16 February 1966] [AIIMF?]

  January 1967 to December 1967

  N56317 - TRADEWINDS CARGO INC. (USA)

16 January 1967

Purchased.

Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.

27 April 1967

Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.

  December 1967 to February 1970

  VT-DVN - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)

7 December 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

  44-77722 - 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.