Commando 44-77635
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77635
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33031
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1567
FATE: Preserved
Operational Record
January 1945 to September 1947
44-77635 - USAAF (USA)
January 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
September 1947 to May 1971
44-77635 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Assigned to the Air Training Command, 3499th Mobile Training Wing based at Chanute AFB, IL.
Received arctic markings following deployment in Newfoundland, Canada.
Unknown date
Assigned to the 2578th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Ellington AFB, TX.
18 April 1958
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
2 February 1959
Sent to reclamation.
Right: 44-77635 at Davis-Monthan AFB, 16 January 1971.
Photo credit: Brian Lockett / Air-and-Space.com
May 1971 to present
44-77635 - PIMA AIR & SPACE MUSEUM (USA)
May 1971
Transferred to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, AZ.
Displayed outside is existing bare metal colors.
Late 1970's
Repainted in its previous 1950's artic markings, still displayed outside.
Christened "Syracuse Shakrat" and marked "X606".
Mid-1990's
Displayed indoors, still in arctic markings.
November 2010
Fully restored for indoors static display, still bearing the same markings.
Below, left: 44-77635 finally at the Museum, October 1973.
Photo credit: R. A. Scholefield
Below, right: the same on 31 March 1974.
Photo credit: Brian Lockett / Air-and-Space.com
Bottom, left: still derelict at the Museum, 44-77635 in 1976.
Photo credit: Larry Johnson
Bottom, right: 44-77635 as a restored indoor exhibit, February 2018.
Photo credit: M. J. Scanlon
Last edited: 01/05/2024