Commando 44-77652

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77652

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33048

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1584

FATE: Unknown

  January 1945 to January 1946

  44-77652 - USAAF (USA)

10 January 1945

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

13 February 1945

Assigned to the 8^th Air Force.

Departed the USA for Europe.

Early 1945

Probably assigned to the 9^th Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing.

23 July 1945

Returned to the USA at Bradley Field, CT.

  January 1946 to April 1948

  44-77652 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

10 January 1946

Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.

ca 1948

Taken out of storage and overhauled by TALOA under a US Government contract to prepare the aircraft for delivery to China.

18 March 1948

Performed a local flight from Oakland, CA with Capt. Frank Kennedy of TALOA at the controls.

  April 1948 to unknown date

  C-46315 - ROCAF (REPUBLIC OF CHINA AIR FORCE) (CHINA)

21 April 1948

Departed Oakland, CA for delivery to Shanghai, China. Replaced sistership 44-77871 on that day's ferry flight batch, with the latter departing the next day instead.

Fate unknown.

Right: C-46315 seen at Oakland, CA supposedly in June 1948 - this would contradict an April 1948 delivery date?
Photo credit: Bill Larkins