Commando 44-77598
Aircraft Identification
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
Operational Record
December 1944 to January 1946
44-77598 - USAAF (USA)
18 December 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
13 January 1945
Assigned to the 8th Air Force.
Departed the USA for Europe.
Early 1945
Assigned to the 9th Air Force, 52nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313th Troop Carrier Group, 48th 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):
2nd Lt. Wayne J. Tahtinen, Pilot
2nd 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)
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)
10 August 1948
Departed Oakland, CA for delivery to Shanghai, China.
Fate unknown.
Last edited: 01/05/2024