Commando 44-77626

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77626

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33022

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1558

FATE: Unknown

  January 1945 to September 1947

  44-77626 - USAAF (USA)

January 1945

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

Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command, 807^th AAF Base Unit, Bergstrom AAF, TX.

21 February 1945

Received major damage over Bergstrom AAF, TX in a midair collision.

Pilot: Donald J. Nagle (survived)

25 April 1945

Received major damage 27km south-southeast of Austin, TX in a midair collision.

Pilot: Howard C. Agne Jr. (survived, went on to fly in the Korean War and retired as a Lt Col.)

Mid-1945

Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command, 434^th Troop Carrier Group, 71^st Troop Carrier Squadron based at George Field, IL.

30 October 1945

Damaged at George Field, IL in a taxi accident.

Pilot: Bernard L. Matravers

While taxiing at George Field, IL, the Commando hit parked Douglas C-47A Skytrain 42-100520 belonging to the same squadron. Both airplanes were damaged.

  September 1947 to August 1963

  44-77626 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to 2577^th Air Force Reserve Training Center, based at Brooks AFB, TX.

3 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.

7 August 1963

Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL.

16 August 1963

Assigned to the 1045^th Operational Evaluation and Training Group, effectively the CIA's air arm.

Supplied to foreign country under the Military Assistance Program.

  August 1963 to March 1964

  N10704 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)

7 March 1963

Registered.

August 1963

Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.

5 June 1964

Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.

  March 1964 to February 1970

  VT-DRM - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)

31 March 1964

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

  44-77626 - 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.