Commando 44-77524

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77524

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32920

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1456

FATE: Unknown

  December 1944 to October 1946

  44-77524 - USAAF (USA)

5 December 1944

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

Assigned to the 8^th Air Force.

30 December 1944

Departed the USA for Europe.

Early 1945

Assigned to the 9^th Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313^th Troop Carrier Group, probably 49^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at RAF Folkingham, England.

Marked "H2-B".

24 July 1945

Returned to the USA at Bradley Field, CT.

Right: 44-77524 dropping paratroopers over DZ FRE11746. The landscape in the background clearly identifies it as a sistership of 44-77548 of 313th TCG, 49th TCS and not as an aircraft of 437th TCG which only operated Commandos from 1949.
Photo credit: unknown

  October 1946 to March 1948

  44-77524 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

9 October 1946

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

  March 1948 to unknown date

  44-77524 - USAF (USA)

21 March 1948

Returned to USAF service.

19 August 1948

Assigned to the Oklahoma City Air Material Area based at Tinker AFB, OK and probably refurbished.

25 August 1949

Assigned to Glendale, CA.

Converted to TC-46D.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 437^th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, 85^th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium based at Brady AB, Japan.

15 December 1950

Received major damage at Brady AB, Japan in a takeoff accident.

Pilot: Richard A. Elliot

Fate unknown.