Commando 44-77598

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77598

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32994

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1530

FATE: Unknown

  December 1944 to January 1946

  44-77598 - USAAF (USA)

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18 December 1944

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

13 January 1945

Assigned to the 8^th Air Force.

Departed the USA for Europe.

Early 1945

Assigned to the 9^th Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313^th Troop Carrier Group, 48^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Grevillers-Achiet (B-54), France.

Marked "Z7-S".

24 March 1945

Damaged over Germany during Operation Varsity.

Crew (all unhurt):
2^nd Lt. Wayne J. Tahtinen, Pilot
2^nd Lt. Leon W. Whitmore, Copilot
Sgt. Paul Rybaczyk, Radio Operator
T/Sgt. Lemuel S. Pattishall, Crew Chief

20 July 1945

Returned to the USA at Bradley Field, CT.

 

Right: a video of 44-77598 being loaded for Varsity on 24 March 1945 between times 0:33 and 0:36.
Photo credit: USAF / Youtube

  January 1946 to August 1948

  44-77598 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

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9 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.

  August 1948 to unknown date

  C-46277 - ROCAF (REPUBLIC OF CHINA AIR FORCE) (CHINA)

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10 August 1948

Departed Oakland, CA for delivery to Shanghai, China.

Fate unknown.